All inclusives: what’s your buffet strategy?

[Juicesausagecake]

Help! I used to be good at this!

Am currently on an all-inclusive, and may have lost my mojo. I blame the need to feed the kids with healthy food (cucumber, tomato, melon etc. on a little plastic plate), and am not rinsing managing the buffet as effectively as I would have in times of yore.

How do you approach it?

I make a beeline for anything crispy and in batter. Delicious little fried things, come my way! By alchemy, since these have sat on the same table as actual vegetable-containing salads, they have an aura of healthy variety and I definitely believe I've eaten a good varied meal, not twenty mini portions of deep fried yumminess.

I have three days left. Now allocated to:

1. weird and wonderful

’weird’ will be easy; ‘wonderful’, less so
2) clever

this is like the watermelon and feta salad that a pp suggested.

3. ‘beat the buffet’ financially

a bit like ordering a Bloody Mary on the plane. But will I need to do homework for this? We are in Greece. Is lamb very cheap here? How will I know what kind of deal on olives they are getting? AND WHAT ABOUT ECONOMIES OF SCALE?

This thread has been a bit of an eye-opener. There are clearly upper levels of all-inclusive that I never imagined existed.

Egypt is apparently Mecca for buffet enthusiasts. Ice swans, champagne, gold leaf, wagyu beef, pearls in vinegar - I wouldn't do any of it justice but that's where my colleague goes.

@Duttercup that's generally my strategy.
I've lost a bit of weight recently but we are heading for 10 days AI in Spain on sat and I can feel the excitement building.

I am thinking avoid the bread if poss & focus on the veg/salads/protein. But I love food so I'm taking many clothes with elasticated waistbands and will deal with it when I get home.
Also if I have wine I'm going to want crisps. That is non negotiable

Please don't impose dietary regulations on holiday... that's so sad.

I'm really pretty sure you have totally misunderstood the intentions of the OP.

I always find all inclusive breakfasts take ages to get by yourself. So as a family 1 child would be in the queue for smoothies, 1 child would be on toast duty, DH in the queue for hot stuff and I would get all the bits and pieces (butter, jam etc). Then we would all meet back at the table and enjoy.

With any buffet, they always put the low cost items/most filling items first (pasta, rice, bread and potatoes). First look at everything, find the meat you want first, then salad and veg and then finally the cheap carbs.

We went to an AI in Barbados this year. Only one restaurant had a buffet at breakfast. I feel cheated.

I was quite shocked at the amount the American guests were piling on their plates.

Having said that, I don’t really eat breakfast so I’d just have a mimosa. Wasted on me.

We’re on an AI in Mallorca as we speak. I succumbed to the dessert stand - left to right: banoffe pie, strawberry mousse and chocolate & mint mousse. There was also chocolate torte, rice pudding, Swiss roll and ice cream 🐷

@CaveMum I could do some damage to that right now!

I am going to have to come off this thread now because it transpires that DH has been putting Amaretto in my Roy Rogers, and now I am too squiffy for the internet.

Thanks for your advice, everyone! xxx

Your DH is truly a god amongst men. Enjoy!

My one and only experience of AI was on a very expensive trip to Barbados. It was a massive disappointment! Breakfast was like a continental breakfast plus omelettes. Lunch was more like a cheap afternoon tea affair, and dinner turned out to be a 3 course meal which you had to choose before 10am from a menu that had 3 starters, 3 mains and 3 desserts. No vegetarian food - DH is vegetarian and ended up having omelettes every evening! I think I actually lost weight in that holiday!!!

Blimey, those colors are radioactive

☢

Just dh and I these days.

Breakfast: I head for the cereal and dh brings in the fruit juices and hot drinks.No toast but get in the omlette/pancake queue asap. Hi-jack fried and poached eggs as they appear and leave the trays on the racks until last.

Lunch is never crowded so relax.

Evenings: Prowl the trays, decide what you want and stick to it. We quite like German orientated options and fish. Any fish.

Avert eyes from sugary dessert options at all times and head straight for the cheese, grapes and savoury biccies.

Always gherkins, onions and sweetcorn-they go with everything and liven up anything that’s a bit dull. Bread roll and butter are an essential. My breakfast favourite is porridge, Nutella and dessicated coconut, absolute elite holiday breakfast!

I go for at least 4 courses if I know what I want. Fish course, cheese board the lot.

If I'm not sure then I do a sample plate for starters then a full on plate of all the stuff I like, half of which will be the salad.

My only buffet hack is to put the butter packet on the toaster to melt it slightly.

I'm doing half board in Dubai next week so I need my strategy to be on point, so thank you for starting the this thread OP!

A small wheelbarrow and a shovel, then return to our table and work out what we got.

We havd recently been AI in Mallorca.

The only advice I have is avoid the breakfast brussels sprouts 😳

I feel like you stayed at the wrong Barbados hotel, that sounds terrible! Have had a couple of great holidays there with lovely food.

I eat what I want. Usually a scan around the whole room, then seafood and salad (fish or prawns). Next is whatever looks the best (I like local dishes or pasta), then a few carbs and dessert.

If there's a soup I sometimes have that first.

There may be hidden pork sausages and bacon at the breakfast buffet in Dubai if either float your boat. Don’t assume there won’t be any - our hotel put them behind a massive curtain.

I'm going AI in September in Greece with toddler and cannot wait!!!

1);start of holiday tell yourself you’re going to be really good at said buffet
2) at buffet try hardest to do the above
3) by day 3 have chips plus pizza plus salad plus all of the little puddings
4) end of holiday put at least half a stone on

job done 🥳