Five Ways to Add Colour to a Monochrome Buffet

Pastries, sandwiches, cake…. If your buffets tend to be a beige monochrome, here are 5 ways to help you add some extra colour and nutrients to your table – including a recipe.

Colourful buffet

1) Colourful Salad

A salad bowl may be a quick and easy option, but at a buffet people may simply leave it if it contains an ingredient they don’t like or lots of leaves.  A platter or individuals bowls may be a more guest-friendly, and more colourful, alternative.  Cucumber, pepper, celery and carrot can all be chopped into finger-food friendly sticks may be an easy option that will appeal to children as well as adults.  With pepper alone you can add at least four colours: green, red, yellow and orange.  To make them extra special, you can get low-cost knives designed to crinkle-cut.

The more creative amongst you may be able to make vegetable animals, trains or other shapes that may appeal to children.

2) Add Fruit

For a buffet dessert you could offer a mixed fruit salad, fruit kebabs or even a simple mixed fruit platter.  They will add sweetness, colour and healthfulness.

You could even “go ‘80s” and have a pineapple hedgehog as a table feature!

3) Add Garnish

A little chopped lettuce, spinach or cress in the sandwiches, or available to add, adds some greenery and increases the nutritional content of the buffet fare.

4) Dips

Dips are great for a buffet, especially if you add idea 1) above!  Of course, homemade is best but if you don’t have time, readymade options are widely available.  Don’t just choose the cheese & chive or thousand island, go for some veg-based options.  These could include:

  • Houmous
    • Available in a series or flavours, and therefore colours. Why not try the recipe below for a beetroot houmous?
  • Fava dip
    • Made from yellow split peas, not fava beans (broad beans).
  • Tzatziki
    • Ok, this one is white but instead of cream or cheese it uses plain Greek yoghurt, which is a good source of protein, micronutrients and may support gut health.  Opt for a low or no added sugar yoghurt if you can.  Then, all you need is the fruit & veg: grated cucumber, garlic, lemon juice and mint – easy! https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/tzatziki

Make sure you remember to include some serving spoons to avoid food being used as scoops.

5) Juice

Just 150ml of fruit or veg juice counts as one portion of our daily fruit and veg intake, so it may be helpful to include it as a soft drinks option.  Remember though, more than one glass still counts as a single portion.  For younger children, try watering the juice down to about 50/50 to reduce their sugar intake – it provides a more healthful alternative to squash.

Buffet Dip Recipe: Beetroot Houmous

Ingredients:

175g cooked beetroot, roughly chopped

400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 clover garlic, chopped or crushed

Handful coriander

Juice 1 lemon

4tbsp olive oil

Method:

Put ingredients in a food processor and blitz until fairly smooth.

Taste and add freshly ground pepper (optional).

Recipe source – I think I got this recipe from the people that ran the canteen in my previous workplace: 7 Day Catering.

Individual Dietary Needs

When inviting guests it is always worth checking their dietary needs, especially if it is for children you don’t know or adults who can bring along a guest.  Find out if you need to consider ethical (vegetarian for example) or health needs (IBS triggers, allergies….) and include a balance of foods for those guests.  Where necessary, have someway of indicating the suitability/or non-suitability of the foods; and don’t mix them on the same plate or with the same utensils.  Your guests really will be very grateful that you made the effort to ensure they enjoy your food as much as everybody else.