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The buffet was developed in the eighteenth century in France and it quickly spread throughout Europe. The name refers to the sideboard on which the food is placed to be served to the public. Around the middle of the nineteenth century, it became very popular in England, where it was known as "court cupboard". It is currently increasingly associated with the "all you can eat" concept offered by certain restaurants where you pay a fixed price in advance that entitles you to eat as much as you like of the dishes you choose.

Unlike receptions or cocktail parties where you eat standing up, buffets are eaten at a table. Diners can move around and sit where they fancy. There is generally a buffet for each meal (breakfast buffet, lunch buffet and dinner buffet). The foods on offer are usually simple to serve and eat.

The classic buffet found in hotel restaurants usually has several sections: in one area there are starters, which are generally cold (salads, hors d’oeuvres...); in another are the main courses  (meat, fish...) and in a third area there are the desserts. There may also be areas devoted to different products (pasta, rice dishes...). 

Where drinks are concerned, these are not usually included in the buffet. In order to avoid surprises when you receive the bill, it is advisable to check in advance, as well as asking if it is a set-price buffet. 

Healthy, balanced meal

For children that don’t eat very well or for indecisive people, a buffet can be a good option. However, it is not sensible to allow children to eat what they fancy. In this respect, it is fundamental to choose dishes that will make a healthy and balanced meal. Take care to avoid indigestion, which is common with this kind of meal, especially fixed-price buffets.

Buffets include all kinds of dishes, as such it is not difficult to choose those which are healthier, as well as tasty. In most cases there are fish, meat, rice, vegetable, pasta, pulse and dairy-based dishes. 

Children should be helped at the buffet. It is not sensible for them to have too many fried foods, or foods coated in batter or pastry, which are never in short supply. Depending on the time of year, you could select, as a starter, a salad, a pulse dish (lentils, chickpeas...) or a soup. For the main course, meat or fish, products which can be served with different side dishes and also a few chips. For dessert, fresh fruit or yoghurt.

These recommendations are valid for both the odd buffet meal and for cases where the family is staying at a hotel with half or full-board, where overeating can end up taking its toll. 

In the latter case, the children are usually given more freedom to choose their food, but you must make sure that they don’t always eat the same, or eat too many greasy foods, hamburgers, sausages or pizza. Nutritionists remind us that we can eat everything in moderation. 

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