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’m on the coach on the way to our all inclusive in Majorca. Sadly I don’t think it’s going to be as posh as some of these other ones. I have a terrible fear of food poisoning as well so may just eat chips and pasta all week

@HotInMajorca if you’re heading to Holiday Village Majorca (Monte Safari) I can report food all good so far 😜

We were reading ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ this evening and it made me think that

Either
Eric Carle was on an all inclusive holiday when he wrote it

Or
the caterpillar basically invented the first all-inclusive (… and wrote a clear, but mad, strategy for how to approach it).

Now I’ve had that realisation, I’m off fo eat a nice green leaf.

I've seen this and don't understand it, it's not just an adult fetching food for small children either, it's the whole group of numerous adults and children all getting what one person (usually the matriarch) puts on the table. Always huge piles of a small selection, fruit, pastries etc. and a lot of it wasted.

I also don't understand parents fetching food for dc who are old enough to fetch their own, or at least to walk around with an adult and vote their own. we went on holiday in a large group once and two families did this, the dc (no SN) ate only things the parents knew they liked, bread, nuggets, chips etc. what a waste of an opportunity to try a little bit of lots of new things.

Can you wander up to the table @backinthebox and say, ‘Ooh! I didn’t know there was all this as well!’ and then start loading your plate off their rival buffet?

That would be priceless!
We were in a hotel last year where they made Belgian waffles from scratch, 4 large ones at a time, cut into quarters to make them go further, so 16 pieces at a time. There was always a bit of a queue for them. One morning the woman at the front of the queue took the whole lot. My DH saw her do the same thing the next day and took it back to the table of 3 people. On the one hand they can take what they want from an all you can eat buffet, but on the other hand it was extremely selfish.

l am at at all inclusive right now. I love the randomness of it all. Salad and mixed veg for breakfast anyone? Last night I had delicious grilled fish and meat with all the lovely things from the salad table, DH had steak and mash and chn had chicken, chips and pasta. My youngest is the most adventurous, so is back and forth from the buffet. I think when your kids are finally able to swim confidently and carry their own plates back from the buffet and is when you can finally enjoy your holiday. I think by that point you have earned the right to gorge on whatever you please.

I love that we can all have our own choices because at home it would be one meal for all. I also love not having to meal plan or prep so my top tip is to let your children go for it. You can worry about portions and food combinations when you get back home.

The desserts always look impressive but like another PP said, they are essentially the same thing in different colours. The bread is also drier than at home, other than those two gripes, go nuts. It has been a shit two years for most people so enjoy your buffet to the fullest!

Thank you to this thread. I've arrived at an all inclusive today & I've definitely taken some tips.
It did make me laugh when I walked past a parent with a child & their plate contained chips, broccoli & cucumber. I can just imagine the conversation
My own child has told me today that she intends to only eat chips & pasta tomorrow 🤣🤣

Pancakes.

That is all.

Just back from an AI in Turkey and there were loads of people who had a huge plate of rice with mash potatoes on top and nothing else. Carb on carb, never seen anything quite like it. Love the randomness of an AI buffet. At the start I go a bit mad but settle down after a few days. This time they had a grill section where they cooked meats and fish which was nice.

This thread has been very enjoyable reading, thanks OP.

I’m going on an AI one-week holiday next week and I’m now prepared with the mantra “KNOW YOUR STATIONS”

I've just finished our second day. I need a detox already. Although I've had a decent amount of veg & salad, the cheese is so good....I fear that is my downfall....

Have you tried covering your cheese in honey?

I got into a cheeseboard habit when I was there. And I don’t really like cheese (… which is probably why I started covering it in honey!).

www.adam-buxton.co.uk/podcasts/128

This is Adam Buxton & Louis Theroux on the ethics of taking stuff from the breakfast budget for the rest of the day, not what you asked but it’s very funny!

Flimsy plates are my nightmare in this situation. This is dealt with by using a stack of at least two flimsy plates so that they don’t buckle under the weight of the smorgasbord of delights that have been chosen for my personal consumption.

@Juicesausagecake - I love the idea of covering something you don't particularly like in honey to overeat it .
Reminds me of the time I ordered the cheeseboard in a fancy restaurant. It said it came with jam, which I thought was odd but assumed would be on the side. Instead it was drizzled over the cheese. It was an ok , but unusual combination and not one I would repeat.

@Juicesausagecake I don't think that will help. I'm liking the sound of honey with cheese to be honest

Honey with cheese is a fairly classic pairing.

Jam with cheese is… not. Ugh. At least that’s something one can avoid with a buffet

My dad used to make cheese and jam on a cracker for me and my friend when we sneaked downstairs during a sleepover!
Mum caught us and sent us back to bed.
Honey and cheese is good(only certain cheese though)

Agree with it having to be certain cheese, also has to be certain honey.

I hope this thread hasn’t set me up for disappointment for my AI holiday next week: I’m having lovely visions of lobster and fresh prawns with a watermelon and feta salad. followed by a make-your-own cheese board with a drizzle of honey

I'm definitely going to make my own cheeseboard and slug down gallons of wine with it.(will also be searching for the honey)
Hope everyone's AI don't disappoint

We are at hotel zafiro can picafort and I can confirm the AI is very generous. Drink options are very extensive. Staff are fabulous. They must be exhausted. They have just had to close one pool due to poo though 😷🤣

Brie and cranberry is a classic combo and is basically jam and cheese.

I'm away next week. Not AI but breakfast and dinner buffets so picking up tops ahead of the game.

Usually it's pastries and loads of fresh fruit for breakfast for me. I can give or take a cooked breakfast.

Yes you’re right about brie and cranberry, I do like that. I also love quince with cheese. I hereby retract my “ugh”.

Just started 2nd week AI. By day 5 one of my new skirts doesn't fit. Ffs
I like to get a bit of everything for a few days. BF has calmed down to fresh cut bread toasted with jam now though cos I went nuts for a few days. Pool side grill does delicious burgers and the beachside eatery has so much choice. I'm avoiding the stuff I eat at home to justify being a total pig though
Right off to the mini bar for a beer. Funnily enough I've not bothered much with the optics in the room. Drinking gin alone whilst DH and DD are here felt weird.