Genius.

A guide to buffet eating. I'm pissed I didn't think of this first.

Some would discourage eating breads and soups or salads altogether. This is not a bad technique and I do advise this with small exceptions. New England clam chowder can be considered a higher priced item and can actually be quite good at a number of establishments. Chili can be added to hot dogs, hamburgers, spaghetti, potatoes or fries. You may find breads that you do not happen upon in normal dining such as cornbread, yeast rolls or naan. These can be eaten sparingly. There is never a need to eat steamed rice (shrimp fried rice in small amounts is acceptable), dinner rolls or the like, this is completely unacceptable.
The same thing goes for salads. There is no need to make a salad plate but often you’ll find nice pasta salads, cole slaws or carrot salads. These make great additions to hamburgers, hot dogs or tacos as well. Again use discretion and do not take up valuable stomach room needlessly.