Buffets may look like food heaven, but not everything behind those sneeze guards is as safe—or tasty—as it seems. With endless options and tempting trays, it's easy to load up your plate without thinking twice. But some of those dishes come with more risk than reward. From questionable hygiene to ingredients that don’t hold up well under heat lamps, certain buffet items are better left untouched. Here are 14 foods you’ll want to skip if you value your stomach—and your dignity.
Salads
Yes, salads are healthy and should be part of every balanced meal. But think twice before putting it on your tray. Salads can be prepared in bulk and stored in the fridge for days. This means that there is a very high chance the veggies on that tray are not so fresh after all.
Fried food
Fry food may seem a good choice, but think twice before opting for these dishes. Buffets rarely replace their frying oil, meaning that all the fried food ends up being cooked in the same oil.
Open sauces
Sauces served on a tray or bowl are never a good choice due to the high amounts of bacteria that may end up there. Opt for dressing safely stored in a bottle.
Fish on Monday
You should never eat fish on Monday. This is because fish markets are often closed during the weekend, meaning that the fish you order on Monday is often purchased on Thursday or Friday.
Bread
Nothing wrong with bread from a sanitary perspective. However, opting for this food may not be the best option as it may fill you up quickly and leave no room for other, more interesting dishes.
Raw fish
Raw fish has a high risk of contamination, which can make you extremely sick. Avoid this type of food unless you’re in a buffer specializing in seafood.
Whatever is at the beginning of the line
Every dish at a buffet is strategically located to maximize earnings. This means that the first ones on the line tend to be made with the cheapest ingredients. This is because hungry customers tend to fill up their trays with whatever they find in front of their eyes at the beginning of the line. Even though it may be hard, resist the temptation and skip those first dishes.
Soft drinks
Buffet food is often already loaded with calories, so adding sugary soft drinks to the mix can quickly push things over the top. These drinks might seem refreshing, but they’re packed with empty calories that offer no real benefit. If you want to balance things out a little, sticking with water is a much smarter choice
Fondue
That chocolate fondue may look cool at first glance, but you’ll probably change your mind if you think of how many unsanitized hands have touched it. You'd better choose some other form of dessert.
Lemon slices
Similarly to sauce served on trays, lemon slices are also filled with bacteria. According to a study, half of lemon wedges collected from a variety of restaurants in the USA had human fecal matter on them.
Coffee
Skip the buffet coffee and ask your server for a fresh cup. There is a very good chance that the coffee on the buffet has been sitting there for hours. It is not fresh, and the taste will reflect that. Plus, the milk and cream to go in the coffee have also been sitting there for hours. Yuck!
Fruit Salad
Buffets almost always have some chopped fruit sitting on the buffet. However good this fruit looks, you may want to skip it. Chopped melon should only sit out for two hours before it can become contaminated. Look for fruit that is resting on ice or refrigerated and, therefore, safe to eat. Skip all the other chopped fruit for safety's sake.
Pizza
Nothing wrong with ordering pizza, but buffets aren’t the best place to try this dish. If you want to get a real taste of this Italian delicacy, opt for an authentic pizzeria and avoid filling your stomach with this rather cheap dish at the buffet.
Whatever you can make at home
As a rule of thumb, if you can easily make it at home, avoid putting it on your plate. Just because you’re paying a fixed price, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t treat yourself to some delicious and unique dish.
This article was first published at Spatula Desserts.
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