Whether you’re planning a wedding, work party, or baby shower, choosing the menu for your event is no easy feat. Good catering can enhance the experience of your event… or could be the only thing people remember— and not in the way you want them to!
It might seem impossible to balance healthy choices with food that will satisfy everyone’s palettes but that couldn’t be further from the truth! In fact, with a rising interest and awareness of diverse dietary needs and preferences, there’s more options than ever for dishes that are both delicious and nutritious.
What should I consider when choosing the menu?
They say that it’s impossible to satisfy everyone but we disagree. Keeping a few simple rules in mind is all that’s needed to create the best possible experience for all guests. When planning your menu, remember the following:
- Include vegan options. More and more people are choosing to cut meat and animal products out of their diets entirely. Whether the choice is made for ethical reasons or health reasons, we want everyone to feel included and have a place at the table.
- Keep mess in mind. Choosing finger foods or items that are easy to eat helps to prevent accidents that can ruin someone’s night, like spaghetti sauce dripping on a white shirt.
- Drink pairings elevate the meal. Your attention to the finer details will be appreciated by your guests. As a general rule, white wine pairs better with leaner meats such as fish and chicken, while red is usually reserved for lamb or beef.
- Let guests make their own choices at the buffet. Perhaps the most important point to remember is that one size does not fit all. Buffet-style serving is the best way to make sure that your guests can customize their meal to their own dietary needs.
10 Catering Ideas for Your Event:
Offer Healthier Alcohol and Drinks
Including options such as gluten-free wine, light beer, or diet soda mixes is an easy way to accommodate different dietary restrictions and healthy eating. Infused water or low-calorie juices are an excellent option for non-drinkers as well.
Skewer Everything
With no mess and an endless amount of options, skewers might be the perfect hors d’oeuvres option for any event. Fruit and vegetables, tomato and feta, or chicken and vegetables are all great choices.
Create Eye-Catching Fruit Arrangements
A traditional fruit bowl can be messy and overlooked by guests. Instead, creating an artistic or creative centerpiece out of fruit is a fun way to both provide a healthy option as well as offer a fun talking point.
Offer a Crudité Station
Pre-chopped vegetables and dip are always a favorite for hors d’oeuvres for the crunchy texture and bright colors. Just be sure to include carrots, red and yellow bell peppers, or other colorful veg to make sure it doesn’t look too green!
Choose Lean Meats
Swapping out fatty meats in favor of something leaner for your entree is an easy way to make healthful choices. Light meats such as chicken, pork, or fish are all lower in fat than dark meats like beef or lamb.
Make Soup Your Entreé
As long as you avoid cream based recipes, soups are a healthy option that are bursting with flavor. For buffets, consider serving your soups in pre-portioned coffee cups for ease and convenience for your guests.
Substitute Veggies for Meat
Not just for vegans and vegetarians, but non-meat options are healthy for everyone. Instead of a hamburger, try offering a portobello mushroom burger instead. Rather than beef steak, eggplant has a meaty texture as a healthier option to take its place.
Feature Fruit in Your Desserts
Ending the meal with something sweet is a must, but choosing healthy ingredients like fresh fruit will help satisfy that sweet tooth without straying too far from healthy eating. Tarts, fruit bars, and popsicles or sorbet are all tasty and nutritious options.
Whip Up Some Coconut
Did you know that coconut can be whipped into a fluffy topping instead of heavy whipping cream? It tastes just as good and can help to create a fun, tropical theme when paired with your desserts.
Dark Chocolate Fon-“Do” It
A chocolate fondue fountain with fruits is a healthy and sweet way to finish off the meal. Using dark chocolate has added health benefits as well as a fraction of the sugar compared to more widely used milk chocolate or white chocolate.