Buffets are a convenient way to serve a group of people. They can be especially helpful when there are many food items and a lot of guests. Even for small gatherings, a serve-yourself buffet is usually the easiest setup. Unfortunately, health concerns make buffet-style food service risky. Sharing the same serving utensils and congregating in a small space to get food makes for a greater risk of passing around germs or contaminants. Luckily, there are some simple things you can do when planning your buffet to make it healthy and safe without losing the convenience.
Individually Wrap When Possible
When serving dishes that consist of small pieces, try to wrap or package portions individually. For example, you could wrap up individual slices of roasted meats, entire mini-sandwiches or sliders or individual dessert items. Wrapping or packaging small portions of food rather than leaving the entire dish open means reducing the amount of touch points at your buffet and keeps everybody healthier.
Pass Out Serving Utensils
Rather than designate a single serving spoon or utensil per dish, give every guest their own. Every person will use their own individual serving utensils to access the food, making it so the same tools don’t touch the food more than once. If people want to go back for seconds, have them use a fresh spoon. You can even make a fun party favor out of it by including utensils in a gift package for each guest.
Spread Out
Many buffet tables are crowded with a dozen different food items. While these buffets look exciting and bountiful, they leave more opportunity for cross-contamination and spreading of germs. If there is more room between each dish, guests will naturally make more space between them. Instead of cramming a single table full of every dish, try spreading out the fare over multiple tables to create more space.
Clean & Dispose Responsibly
A key to a safe and healthy party is safe and healthy cleanup. Encourage guests to throw their own disposable supplies away immediately after finishing rather than leave them around for others to pick up. At the end of the event, gather trash and other items while wearing gloves. Any reusable dishes should go into the dishwasher or hand-washed immediately with antibacterial soap. Take the trash and recycling out of the home as soon as possible and disinfect all surfaces used by the gathering.
With the right precautions, you can have a successful and healthy buffet-style feast. Use these tips the next time you plan a food-based gathering and keep your friends and family safe.
About the Author
Ryan Mandigo
Ryan Mandigo is an award-winning professional broker associate with Omni Real Estate. Originally a native of New Hampshire, his love of real estate began 30+ years ago while swinging a hammer on a framing crew. He has always had a strong passion for helping people, whether it be assisting a couple in purchasing their first home, finding a home that fits a growing family's needs, or downsizing for those with an empty nest. He strives to build strong personal and professional relationships with being a true believer in the power of positive thinking and always willing to lend a helping hand.
He is also a co-founder and board member of the Swing Fore the Kids organization. A local charity that is 100% nonprofit and their sole purpose is to help needy children and young adults within Horry County communities. He finds great satisfaction and pleasure in seeing how working hard for a great cause and raising funds can help others in need. He is also on the Board of Directors for the Waccamaw Youth Center in Conway, where their mission is to provide at-risk youth "A Place To Call Home"
When he is not working, he enjoys music, working around the home, spending time with family and friends, turning wrenches on vintage vehicles, getting some wind therapy on the Harley or chilling with their dogs.
Some quotes he lives by - "Do what you like and like what you do" - "You have to be odd to be number one" - "Dreams don't work unless you do" And one of his favorites. "Positive and enthusiastic thinking in all you do"
