The Food To Avoid At A Hotel's Continental Breakfast Buffet

Getting up before the crack of dawn for your hotel's continental breakfast buffet truly screams "vacation." Why bother sleeping late and wasting the day away when you can rise with the sun for some halfway decent buffet food before you start a morning of exploration? The buttermilk pancakes, cereal dispensers, and tiny fridge full of yogurt are classic breakfast options in a never-ending buffet line. But the thing that can really throw a monkey wrench in your day? Contracting a foodborne illness. Your best bet for staying out of the bathroom and enjoying your vacation is to skip hot foods like meat or egg dishes at your breakfast buffet if they aren't laid out with proper heating equipment.

Foodborne illnesses aren't detectable by taste, so it's essential to be aware of proper food safety measures as you go down that buffet line. The apparatus can vary, but the idea remains the same: To be considered safe, hot foods must be consistently heated. Equipment can range from an expensive buffet server with heating knobs designed to keep foods at ideal temperatures to a simpler food warmer with space underneath for hot coal or candles. If you're itching for crispy bacon or those classic fluffy continental breakfast eggs, look for food at proper temperatures or just avoid hot foods altogether. 

For some, unlimited sausage links and scrambled eggs are the best part of a continental breakfast buffet, so skipping those foods sounds like heartbreak, but sometimes it can be for the best. It's not uncommon to see a basin of scrambled eggs at the buffet, but if those eggs aren't kept at the proper temperature, it could spell trouble. According to the CDC, the "danger zone" happens when foods reach between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot foods must remain above 140 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent bacteria growth and the spread of harmful germs such as E. coli, salmonella, or even listeria, which can make you sick.  

The safest foods at continental breakfast buffets? Packaged foods like oatmeal and jams, bread items such as pastries and bagels, cereal dispensers, whole fruits, and cooked-to-order choices. These items run a lower risk of foodborne illnesses because they're less prone to contamination and more likely to be handled with proper food safety measures. So, while the quiches and sausage links might be calling your name, avoiding improperly served hot items at the breakfast buffet means you'll enjoy the sights instead of scouting out the nearest restroom. Bon appétit — buffet style!