Why a Catering RFP is Important

An RFP helps you communicate your catering needs to vendors and ensures that you’re comparing proposals based on clear, consistent information. When carefully crafted, an RFP saves time, aligns expectations, and helps you find the best catering partner for your unique needs.

Key Sections to Include in Your Catering RFP

1. Overview of Your Company and Event(s)
   • Start by providing a brief description of your company and the context of your catering needs. Are you looking for daily office meals, catering for monthly meetings, corporate cafeteria services, or special event services?
   • Include the type of events, approximate number of attendees, and any specific themes or dietary preferences that might influence the catering.
2. Example:
   “We are a tech company seeking a catering partner for our regular team lunches and quarterly company events. We have approximately 100 employees with a mix of dietary preferences, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.”
3. Scope of Services Needed
   • Outline what type of catering services you’re looking for, such as buffet-style meals, boxed lunches, snack stations, or live chef stations.
   • Indicate any specific services you need, like setup, cleanup, or ongoing support.
4. Example Questions to Include:
   • Can you provide both breakfast and lunch options?
   • Do you offer any sustainability-focused options, such as compostable packaging or locally sourced ingredients?
5. Budget Parameters
   • Including an approximate budget range will help vendors tailor their proposal to fit your financial constraints.
   • Specify if you are open to tiered pricing options or if you have a strict maximum budget.
6. Timeline and Frequency
   • Clearly state your preferred start date for catering services, as well as the frequency (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly).
   • Include any flexibility with the timeline and deadlines for the proposal submission and decision-making.
7. Example Timeline Request:
   “We would like catering to begin in January 2024, with weekly recurring services on Mondays and Wednesdays.”
8. Menu Preferences and Dietary Requirements
   • Specify any dietary requirements for your team, such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, or kosher.
   • Ask about menu flexibility and seasonal options, as well as accommodations for special diets and allergies.
9. Example Questions:
   • Can you accommodate multiple dietary restrictions within a single meal offering?
   • What options do you have for accommodating last-minute dietary requests?
10. Staffing and Additional Services
    • Outline any additional services you may need, such as on-site staff to manage the food service, bartenders, or event support.
    • Specify if you require any specialized setups, such as eco-friendly packaging or branded serving ware.
11. Experience and References
    • Request information about the vendor’s experience, especially if they have worked with similar companies or handled large-scale events.
    • Ask for references or case studies relevant to your type of catering needs.
12. Example Question:
    • Can you provide examples of other companies or events you’ve catered for with similar requirements?
13. Sustainability Practices
    • Many companies now prioritize sustainable practices, so ask about their sustainability initiatives, like locally sourced ingredients, compostable packaging, or food waste management.
14. Proposal Format and Submission Requirements
    • Clearly specify how you’d like to receive proposals (e.g., email, online form) and the deadline for submissions.
    • Include any specific details on the proposal format, such as a requirement for a PDF submission or a request for samples.

Sample Catering RFP Template

A sample Catering RFP should include:

• Company Overview
• Event Description
• Scope of Services
• Budget
• Timeline
• Dietary Preferences
• Experience
• Sustainability

Creating a well-rounded catering RFP is the first step to a successful catering partnership. Following these guidelines will help you receive comprehensive, relevant proposals from vendors and make an informed decision. Don’t forget to download our free template to streamline your process and get started today!

This guide will help you evaluate corporate cafeteria vendors, outline the key benefits of partnering with the right company, and provide tips for making an informed decision.

Why Invest in a Corporate Cafeteria?

Modern workplaces are redefining the corporate cafeteria experience. Gone are the days of bland, one-size-fits-all menus. Today, the corporate cafeteria is seen as a strategic investment in company culture, with benefits such as:

• Improved Employee Satisfaction: Providing high-quality, accessible meals demonstrates that you care about your employees’ well-being.
• Increased Productivity: On-site cafeterias reduce time spent searching for food options off-campus, keeping employees focused.
• Fostering Team Interaction: A well-designed cafeteria encourages collaboration and networking across departments.
• Aligning with Company Values: Offering sustainable, healthy, or culturally diverse meal options reflects your organization’s commitment to inclusivity and innovation.

Choosing the right corporate cafeteria company ensures you deliver these benefits effectively.

What to Look for in a Corporate Cafeteria Vendor

When evaluating potential cafeteria vendors, keep these key factors in mind:

1. Customization and Menu Variety

Your workforce likely has diverse tastes and dietary needs. Look for a vendor that offers customizable menus with options for various dietary preferences, including vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and allergy-conscious meals.

Pro Tip: Ask potential vendors if they provide rotating or seasonal menus to keep the cafeteria experience fresh and engaging.

2. Technology Integration

Modern cafeteria vendors often integrate technology to enhance the employee dining experience. Features like mobile ordering, self-checkout kiosks, and meal tracking can streamline operations and improve convenience for employees.

Questions to Ask:

• Do you offer a mobile app for pre-ordering or tracking meals?
• How do you handle payment systems, including cashless options?

3. Sustainability Practices

Sustainability is becoming a top priority for many companies. A corporate cafeteria vendor should demonstrate a commitment to eco-friendly practices, such as using locally sourced ingredients, minimizing food waste, and offering compostable packaging.

Why It Matters: Partnering with a sustainable vendor aligns your cafeteria operations with your company’s environmental goals, enhancing your brand reputation.

4. On-Site Staffing and Support

The cafeteria experience is about more than just food—it’s also about service. Ask potential vendors if they provide on-site staff to manage daily operations, handle setup, and ensure smooth service.

Key Consideration:
Look for vendors that can scale their staffing levels during peak hours or special company events.

5. Corporate Experience and Scalability

A vendor with corporate experience understands the nuances of running an on-site cafeteria. They know how to balance quality, efficiency, and cost. Additionally, ensure they can scale their operations as your company grows or your needs evolve.

Questions to Ask:

• Can you manage cafeterias for companies of our size and industry?
• What is your approach to scaling services for fluctuating headcounts?

Benefits of Partnering with the Right Corporate Cafeteria Company

A great corporate cafeteria company does more than just serve food. They become a strategic partner in enhancing your workplace culture and operations. Key benefits include:

• Employee Health and Wellness: Vendors offering healthy, balanced meals help employees maintain energy levels and reduce absenteeism.
• Time and Cost Savings: On-site cafeterias reduce the time and expense employees spend on external dining options, improving overall efficiency.
• Data-Driven Insights: Many cafeteria vendors provide analytics on meal preferences, attendance, and waste, allowing you to optimize your cafeteria offerings.

How to Evaluate Corporate Cafeteria Vendors

Use the following steps to find the best cafeteria vendor for your business:

1. Define Your Goals and Needs

Clarify your priorities—whether it’s offering healthier meals, integrating technology, or promoting sustainability.

2. Request Detailed Proposals

Issue an RFP (Request for Proposal) outlining your cafeteria needs, such as meal frequency, menu preferences, dietary requirements, and budget.

3. Schedule a Tasting or Trial Run

Before signing a contract, request a tasting session or trial period. This allows you to evaluate food quality, service standards, and employee feedback firsthand.

4. Check References and Reviews

Ask for references from other companies that have partnered with the vendor. Look for vendors with a proven track record of reliability and professionalism.

Why the Right Vendor Matters

Choosing the right corporate cafeteria vendor isn’t just about finding a food provider—it’s about creating an experience that supports your workforce and aligns with your company values. The right partner will:

• Adapt to your company’s unique needs.
• Deliver consistent, high-quality meals.
• Elevate your workplace dining culture.

Ready to Upgrade Your Corporate Cafeteria?

A well-managed corporate cafeteria can transform your workplace. Whether you’re revamping an existing cafeteria or launching a new one, partnering with the right corporate cafeteria company makes all the difference.

Contact us today to learn how ZeroCater can create a customized cafeteria solution for your business.

Invest in your team’s well-being, productivity, and satisfaction by partnering with a corporate catering vendor that truly understands your needs. Start your search today to build a workplace dining experience your employees will love!

Whether it’s a pre-holiday lunch or the New Year’s party to end all parties, we’ve got some fun and engaging menu item ideas to help you plan out your perfect gathering. 

Classic Holiday Dishes with a Modern Twist

Instead of having a basic Thanksgiving meal or a boring Easter brunch, you can mix it up with something fun. 

Delicious Barbecue

Christmas time reminds many of us of a Christmas roast. Having a great barbecue spread can be a fun way to put a modern twist on a classic meal we know and love. Smoked meats with all the classic sides could be the new norm for your holiday gatherings.

Pub Cuisine

Pub-centric cuisine can bring classic, warming comfort foods to your catering menu. Whether it’s baked mac and cheese, shepherd’s pie, or just a juicy burger, you can bring these classic dishes to your holiday menus. If you cater a full event, this is the perfect type of food to serve with beer and wine as well, giving your staff the full comfort experience. 

Global Holiday Menu Inspirations

Bringing in food from around the world can give your employees the chance to have an old favorite or try something new! A tasty change of pace for holiday menus can help enhance the memorable experiences you’re trying to create.

Dim Sum

Since dim sum is geared towards communal eating, this can be perfect for holiday gatherings. Sharing food has gone on since the beginning of human life and the bonding we get from it can elevate a normal gathering to a memorable one. You can also customize what types of dishes you want to include in your dim sum to accommodate dietary restrictions and taste preferences.

Kebab/Gyro

Kebab and gyro fall into the “delicious grilled meets” category. Many people love grilled meats and it’s a great option for a variety of palettes and dietary needs. You can have falafel for your vegan employees and kebab is generally also halal, though you should always double-check to be sure.

Meze Platter

“Meze” essentially translates to appetizer, so this is a Mediterranean appetizer plate with loads of different foods and snacks. You’ll typically find hummus, crunchy raw vegetables, feta, olives, pita, pomegranate, and even figs.

Plant-Based and Vegan Holiday Catering Menu Ideas

Plant-based foods have become increasingly popular in the last decade, which is great news for those committed to the vegan diet. Restaurants have expanded to have a lot of options so you can provide for your vegan employees during company gatherings.

Marinated Tofu Sandwiches

Instead of having meat, marinated tofu has become a tasty alternative in veggie sandwiches. Much better than a boring tomato sandwich. 

Build Your Own Salads

“Salad” is a loose term here. Many places offer amazing salad options with lentils, super fresh veggies, beautifully made dressings, perfect fruits, and more. Giving your vegan staff the chance to go crazy on the salad of their dreams is a real holiday treat.

Vegan Mexican Food

Tacos, burritos, pozole… you name it, someone has created a beautiful vegan version of it. The amount of amazing vegan Mexican food out there might surprise you enough to try it yourself if you’re not vegan already.

Appetizers and Finger Foods for Holiday Catering in the Office

Finger foods are great for social-centric gatherings. They’re meant to be compact, small bites that don’t involve you walking around with a mountain of food on your plate. They’re also great for holiday parties where alcohol is being served to keep people eating and enjoying the party.

Charcuterie Boards

Cured meats, a wide variety of cheeses, fresh fruits, and anything else your heart desires. Charcuterie is a staple finger food and appetizer, a true classic. It’s also super customizable based on what your staff enjoys and really easy to snack on over a long period of time without losing its “essence”. Perfect for holiday gatherings, and honestly, kind of in general.

Taco Bar

Tacos are small enough that you can go back and get more as you need. This is another great, more filling option for gatherings where you’d potentially be serving alcohol. Customization is easy here as well.

Holiday Dessert Ideas for Your Work Holiday Party

Dessert screams holiday party, it’s usually decadent in some way and makes people feel spoiled. It’s common for people to have fond memories of the treats they had on any given holiday, so it’ll only reinforce that feeling of happiness at your next holiday party.

Donuts

Donuts are versatile with both classic options and trendy takes on an old favorite. Donut bars are a fun grab-and-go treat, and many modern donut shops offer fun and interesting flavors for your staff to try. Mochi donuts are getting popular too for their unique texture.

Classic Pastries

Cakes, tarts, croissants, you name it, people are going to love it. If you pair this with a hot drink bar with coffee or hot cocoa, it’s perfect for colder days and will definitely put people in the holiday spirit.

Chocolate Fountain

Chocolate fountains are a classic for holiday parties. You can have a variety of treats to dip in the chocolate and it makes for a fun interactive addition to your menu.

Drinks and Beverages to Complement the Holiday Menu

Beverage catering is often overlooked as an option for holiday menus but can pair well with your preexisting food options. It’s perfect for people who might not want to eat for whatever reason or just want a little pick me up during your gathering.

Smoothies/Milkshakes

Smoothies and milkshakes are nice, cool treats that are especially perfect in areas where it might still be somewhat warm during the holiday season. They’re also easy to customize and can cater to various diets and food allergy restrictions.

Hot Drinks/Coffee Bar

Hot drinks can be incorporated well into a chilly holiday party. It leans into the cozy atmosphere of the holidays, and having a nice hot coffee after a big meal can really hit the spot. The caffeine can help keep your staff going as well.

Corporate Holiday Catering for Dietary Restrictions 

Dietary restrictions are important to ensure everyone is having a good time at your holiday party. There’s nothing worse than having a peanut allergy only to find out your corporate catering is all Thai food with peanuts in it. Including options for everyone ensures everyone is having a great time without having to worry about eating something they might not be able to have.

Brunch Buffet

Brunch can have such a wide range of foods it’s difficult to have a buffet that isn’t inclusive. You can include fresh fruits, quiche, eggs, bagels, acai bowls, and so much more. The options are limitless and the menu is really easy on many different dietary restrictions.

Build Your Own Rice Bowls

You can have a Chipotle-style or Mediterranean-style build your own rice bowl. The customization makes it easy for people with restrictions to choose what they want to eat in their bowl. They can even choose to leave the rice out for keto diets.

Presentation and Service options for Holiday Catered Events

If you really want to maximize the experience, you can include fully staffed catered events with dedicated catering servers. This can help with portioning, professional presentation, and helps keep your event running smoothly. 

Fresh Made Smoothies

You can bring the experience of walking into a smoothie shop to your event. It’s basically the same thing, your staff can choose what types of ingredients they’d like and it’ll be made right in front of them. This is great for the days before a holiday break to give people a little pick-me-up before they have to face the stress of the holiday season.

Classic Waffle Bar

Having someone prepare a piping hot waffle for you can give you a luxurious feel. Nobody will have to worry about half cooked or burnt waffles. You can have catering staff add the toppings for you or allow employees to add them on their own. 

Meat Carving

There’s nothing more appetizing than watching someone carve a large piece of meat for you. It showcases how fresh the food is, and can add to the meal experience. This type of display is perfect for holiday gatherings where showing off a little bit is encouraged.

Holiday Catering Menu Ideas Come to Life with Zerocater

No matter what the vibe is for your holiday event, you can make it easy with Zerocater. We have an easy to use app that allows you to look through your favorite local restaurants and choose the perfect menu. Even if you’re a small business just starting out, we’ll work with your budget to give you the magical experience your staff deserves. If you’re interested in learning more, reach out to us and tell us more about your budget, company size, and anything else you think we should know. We look forward to working with you!

What Is Healthy Food Catering in the corporate setting?

Healthy food should be nutrient-dense and low in saturated fats and refined sugars. In a corporate setting, that means your catering should have those qualities. If you’re looking to maximize your nutritional potential, you should have healthy snacks and catered lunches as well. The important thing is to make sure whatever you serve tastes good or else people won’t eat it.

Benefits of Offering Healthy Food Catering

Healthy food helps your staff maintain a consistent level of productivity, mental clarity, and overall wellness. In a study done with approximately 182,000 people, it was found that diets with a variety of vegetables, fruits, and protein were associated with increased grey matter in the brain. When you fuel your employees with nutrient-dense foods, they’ll be at their best, and so will your business.

Popular Healthy Catering Menu Ideas

If you’re ready to start planning your next catering menu, we’ll help guide you through some popular healthy dishes. Each menu item mentioned is delicious, packed with nutrients, and things your staff will love.

Build Your Own Salad

Salad bars are popular for a reason. Offering a variety of greens, vegetables, dressings, and whatever else you can think of gives your employees the chance to create their ideal healthy meal.

Mediterranean Salad

Mediterranean food has a tendency to be health-forward while maintaining maximum flavor. Instead of a typical salad, a Mediterranean salad has olives, onions, feta, tomato, cucumbers, and many other veggies. This salad is great for people who have trouble with the traditional leafy green salad base.

Poached Salmon Bowl

Salmon is known for its health benefits as it’s rich in omega-3s, the “good fat”. Paired with gorgeous greens, this is a great dish to serve if your staff is looking for something high up there in terms of health content and flavor.

Poke Bowls

If you’re a fan of sushi, poke bowls are the perfect way to maximize the health benefits while getting the same rich flavor. Fish, as we mentioned before, is high in omegas, and combined with delicious fresh vegetables can keep you going through the day.

Bibimbap

Bibimbap is not only visually appealing, but the protein and veggie content is great for a healthy afternoon lunch. Including fermented vegetables means you get the added bonus of probiotics as well.

Chicken Satay

You can’t go wrong with grilled chicken, and chicken satay brings the flavor. Since it’s typically eaten with vegetables on the side, this is a great popular dish for its health benefits and because it’s delicious of course.

Build Your Own Bahn Mi

Bahn mi’s unique qualities are its French bread and pate, but don’t let that stop you from piling yours with tofu and vegetables. This is a great option for people who have trouble incorporating veggies into their diets.

Incorporating Healthy Snacks and Beverages

There are plenty of options for delicious healthy foods these days. Depending on what your employees are in the mood for, you can give them a variety of options that’ll keep them moving throughout the workday.

Acai Bowl

Acai bowls are super customizable and packed with nutrients. The acai blended with fruits and vegetables is enough to give you a healthy snack, but adding things like granola, coconut, and whole fruits can add even more fiber and vitamins. 

Mezze Platter

“Mezze” essentially means ‘appetizers’, and this platter is packed full of vegetables, fruits, hummus, and a ton of other nutrient-dense snacks. This is the perfect grab-and-go snack for a busy office and it’s super healthy.

Fresh Made Smoothies

Smoothies are great for those who aren’t a huge fan of vegetables and can be an easy vessel for other add-in nutrients as well. The yummy fruit taste is perfect for masking the taste of raw spinach, and your health-forward employees will already know how to maximize their add-ins for their perfect healthy smoothie. 

Avocado Toast

Avocados are packed with healthy fats and the perfect filling treat for a busy morning or afternoon. You can add pickled shallots for added gut health, an egg for more protein, and the mild taste of avocado allows you to season it in a variety of different ways.

Healthy Catering for Special Dietary Needs

The CDC estimates that around 17% of adults over the age of 20 have a special diet. 52% of Americans reported following a specific diet or eating pattern in the past year as well, so it’s important to provide healthy options for those who have different dietary needs. 

Brunch Bar

Brunch offers a variety of options for a lot of different dietary needs. You can have eggs and sausage for your keto employees, chia pudding and granola for your vegan employees, and so on. Remember to assess the allergies within your staff too to avoid cross-contamination risk.

Veggie and Tofu Sandwiches 

Marinated tofu and veggie sandwiches can be a luxurious vegetarian and vegan option for your plant-based staff. We’ve underestimated how good vegetables can be. You might be able to convert some of your non-plant-based staff as well. 

Kebab

Kebab and falafel are versatile options most people who have allergies can enjoy. If you eat a low carb diet, you can customize your food to have no bread. Falafel is a delicious vegan treat, and if you take note of allergens, you’re likely to avoid the top 9 allergens as well.

Health-Conscious Catering for Corporate Events

When you’re at a corporate event, fast food or greasy foods can slow you down. Corporate gatherings are the perfect opportunity to cash in on a health-centric catering menu. Food can help fuel your eventgoers to ensure people are feeling clear and focused.

Power Lunches for Productivity

A strategic power lunch can help propel your team into the next half of your event. By the time it’s lunch, people are often tired from their morning coffee and ready to be done for the day. Healthy catering options can give them the boost they need to focus and continue the momentum of productivity. Breaks can reduce fatigue by 30%, so if you want to maximize the benefits of a power lunch, healthy food is the way to go.

Healthy Snacks for Meetings

Healthy snacks before or sometimes during a meeting ensure nobody’s feeling hangry going in and that everybody’s ready to focus. When people eat, their cognitive function increases, meaning you’ll have more productive meetings and the creative juices will be flowing. Don’t underestimate the power of a snack.

Mindful Eating for Employee Wellness Programs

Healthy eating should easily go in tandem with employee wellness programs. What we put in our bodies matters quite a bit, so along with the great healthcare benefits and gym discounts you offer, don’t forget to maximize wellness with healthy eating as well. You can have catered wellness education events, food education content, and incentives to participate to help your staff increase their mindful eating literacy.

Trends in Healthy Food Catering

According to the World Economic Forum, Americans of all ages are interested in healthy eating. Healthy foods are only going to get tastier as time goes on, so this isn’t a trend that’ll be going away anytime soon. Especially with the documented benefits of how eating healthy benefits a company’s productivity as we talked about here, you can expect to see much more healthy catering options in the future.

How to Choose a Healthy Food Catering Service

If you’re ready to start helping your staff make healthy choices with your corporate catering options, Zerocater makes it easy for businesses of all sizes. Regardless of your budget, we can bring you the tastiest healthy meals in your area. Your staff can even rate how they liked your previous catering order and we’ll use our AI to help tweak your menu suggestions to perfection. Go ahead and send us a message with a little bit about yourself and we can help transform your corporate catering experience.

Whatever the reason may be, getting catering for the event is usually a great motivator for people to get involved in what you’re doing. Food at events alone helps things feel less intimidating, making it easier for attendees to feel comfortable enough to actively participate. It’s a great icebreaker and a fun way to say “thank you”.

We’ll go over types of food-centric corporate events and why they’re an essential piece of your event planning. A successful catered event can have more positive outcomes than you think.

Types of Corporate Food Events

There are a variety of different instances where you’d want to have food at the center of your corporate event. We usually think of corporate catering as secondary or saved for just the company Christmas party, but there are a lot of different food related events you can try out. 

Team Building Culinary Experiences

Team bonding helps immensely with productivity and creativity in the workplace and experiencing new things as a group is a great way to facilitate that. 

Team cooking classes allow your staff to learn something together in a low-risk and fun environment. They can learn cooking techniques together and help each other along the way. The low-stress environment gives your staff a chance to get to know each other outside of the workplace and create professional relationships with trust and kinship.

You can also have food tastings, wine tastings, or visit a factory to see how something is made. The outing and experience all contribute to a greater sense of belonging with each other.

Executive Lunches and Dinners

Executive meals are meant to give executives time to share a meal and discuss business in a casual setting. The laid-back atmosphere makes it easier to share thoughts and feelings on the business at large and make way for new ideas. Some great business decisions and ideas have been created at executive meetings and they can be an effective way to push through problems or slow progress.

Client or Partner Appreciation Events

You can show how much you love your clients and partners with a fun food experience. The event you create has the potential to be a memorable one and can enhance the positive feelings surrounding your business and brand. From a company culture standpoint, it shows you care about everyone involved in making your company thrive.

If done poorly, this can backfire, however, so make sure all the planning going into an event like this is as perfect as possible. Careless mistakes or poor catering choices can give others a negative opinion of your company. A corporate catering concierge service might be helpful if you’re worried about something slipping through the cracks. You can learn more about how to implement a corporate concierge here.  

Holiday and Milestone Celebration

Holiday parties are almost always food-centric and all about celebrating. Milestone celebrations are very much the same, it’s like a holiday only your company celebrates. You can celebrate milestones like exceeding client goals, reaching profit milestones, or a company anniversary. 

The entire point of these types of food events is to party and have a good time. Your catering should strive to reflect that with delicious and dietary-inclusive food options.

Health and Wellness-Focused Events

Wellness literacy is something many Americans need help with. “US students receive less than 8 hours of required nutrition education each school year, which is far below the 40–50 hours that are needed to affect behavior change” according to a study done by the CDC. This means many people don’t get the nutrition they need and might not know where to start.

You can bridge the gap by holding wellness events that show your staff delicious healthy foods they can enjoy while educating them on what makes food healthy. Health is essential for properly working bodies and minds, so not only does it benefit your staff to learn to eat healthier, but it helps your company as well.

Why Food is Essential in Corporate Events

Food is something everyone needs to live, and in a corporate setting, it helps lift everyone up to a higher place. 90% of employers say a sense of community is the key to success and there’s no better way to bring a community together than food. You can consistently elevate your events and celebrations by providing delicious food menus, giving your attendees a sense of pride in your business and an opportunity to grow a stronger connection with each other. 

Overall, great food helps incentivize and prepare your event attendees to actively participate and have a memorable time while they’re doing it.

Planning a Successful Event with corporate food offerings

A successful event takes effort. The concept of having food events is good on paper, but if executed poorly, can have a negative effect as we mentioned previously. Here are some basic tips to make sure your event goes the way you want it to.

Selecting the Right Venue and Caterer

The venue should be appropriate for the event. A large dining hall in a historic building is perfect for holiday dinners, whereas an executive lunch would do best in a more intimate setting. Try to envision your event in the venues you’re looking at.

Catering should be able to easily accommodate the size of your event and work with the venue you have in mind. A smaller venue might not be able to fit a fully staffed catering event.

Tailoring Menus to Your Audience

Dietary needs and personal tastes should be considered when you’re creating your catering menu. Your goal is to create a positive atmosphere with food and attendees won’t be able to enjoy the food if they can’t eat it. Try to ask questions beforehand about what your attendees are interested in food-wise to get a feel for what people want to eat. Making your eventgoers feel heard can make all the difference when they’re attending your events.

Adding a Thematic Touch

Imagine walking into a company Christmas party and seeing it decked out with Christmas trees and decorations, or an appreciation dinner filled with fun photos of employees. The extra touches you add will contribute to the experiences your attendees have. The immersion shows you’ve put in the effort to create a memorable experience.

Benefits of Corporate Food Events

Corporate food events can help a lot with company culture. Since company culture is the personality of your business, that image will permeate through everything you do. Putting on a great event with delicious catering shows that you care about the company you work for and the people attending it.

You’ll find that food events are a simple way to bring people closer together, leading to stronger bonds between coworkers and your business relationships. When executed correctly, food-centric events can work greatly in your favor.

Trends in Corporate Food Events

Corporate food events are super popular because of how effective they are so naturally they’ve been growing with the modern age.

Sustainability has become increasingly popular, highlighting the importance of reducing waste during catering events. This comes in the form of replacing plastic with paper products, working with local organizations to accept food donations and new ways of calculating how much food you’ll need for a given event. Sustainability adds a layer of “feel good” atmosphere to your events.

With the increase in hybrid and remote work, team building culinary experiences have gone virtual. Things like virtual wine tasting and virtual cooking classes have become popular ways to bring team building to remote work. This is the perfect option for workplaces that still do hybrid and remote work.

Digital menus are a modern staple for catered events. You can increase their effectiveness by implementing interactive menus that allow people to order directly from the menu itself or give them extended allergen and ingredient information. If you think your attendees would have fun with it, you can implement a food scavenger hunt as well.

Corporate Food Events by Zerocater

Zerocater is a service that provides corporate catering options for any event. It’s like the food ordering apps you’re already used to using. No matter the size of your company or event, we can work with your budget to give your event attendees the amazing experiences they deserve. We’ll even store what you ordered last time to give you better menu suggestions. If you’re ready to elevate your corporate food events, send us a message about your event catering needs and your budget. We’ll find the perfect catering plan for you.

We’ll go over what corporate concierge is and how it takes much of the stress away from corporate catering for events. 

What is a Corporate Catering Concierge?

A corporate catering concierge is a service that allows you to entrust all your catering management with a separate entity. It’s kind of like hiring a wedding planner for your event catering, they’ll work to do most of the legwork for your catering needs and all you have to do is approve it. This can save you a lot of time and stress so you don’t have to reach out to restaurants and coordinate everything on your own.

What Does a Corporate Catering Concierge Do?

In a sense, they do mostly everything. You’ll tell them the estimated amount of people, the types of foods you want, your budget, and any food restrictions they should consider. They’ll also manage any catering staff you’ll need on hand and other logistic-type tasks. Let’s look at the details of each:

• Tailored Menu Planning. A catering concierge will take down what types of food you’re thinking of for your event, your budget, and how many people you’ll be feeding. They’ll create the perfect menu personalized for you.

• Coordination of Special Dietary Needs. If you have any special religious-based food requests, food allergies, or dietary needs, it’s your concierge’s job to include that in the menu making process. 

• Logistics Management. Logistics include working with the venue you’ll be at, seeing if you’ll be needing staff or not, and anything else involving getting the food where it’s supposed to go.
• Vendor Sourcing. Your concierge has to source your catering options and make sure they’re up to par.

Types of Corporate Events That Benefit from a Catering Concierge

Any corporate event that has a lot of facets to it benefits from a catering concierge. When things start feeling complicated and overwhelming, it’s worth looking into getting some help. Big events especially benefit from corporate concierge because it involves a lot more than your typical event, but that doesn’t mean smaller events can’t benefit from the assistance as well. 

If you feel like managing catering for your next corporate event is cutting into your time at work, that should be an indication that it’s time to start looking at your concierge options.

Benefits of Hiring a Corporate Catering Concierge

Hiring a corporate concierge helps you get a specialized, professional experience. The entire point is to take a lot of the stress of finding catering off your plate, and their job is just that. You can trust that you’ll get a completely personalized, professional, and smooth experience because you’ve chosen experts to help you.

How a Catering Concierge Enhances the Attendee Experience

Since the experience you’re creating is specifically catered to you and your attendees, it’s much less likely things will slip through the cracks. When you’re trying to manage catering on your own on top of your regular work and the rest of the event details, you might miss a food allergy or an important detail about the food being served. Or worse, you might end up choosing food that just isn’t good.

The expertise of a catering concierge centers your attendees to give them the best experience possible.

Partnering with a Catering Concierge for Long-Term Corporate Events

If you’re planning on a series of events in the future or you’ve found a concierge you really liked, partnering with them for long-term events can be beneficial as well. They’ll start to learn about you and your regular attendees as a client, making it not only an easier process but a more refined process on top of that. 

Taking regular surveys from your attendees about food they liked or didn’t like can increase the effectiveness of your catered events and enhance the experiences you’re facilitating. Your concierge will remember your preferences for the next time. 

Finding the Right Corporate Catering Concierge

It’s important to find a corporate catering concierge with good ratings and reliability. Just like the catering itself, you can sometimes have bad experiences with your concierge if you don’t properly research what company you’re going with.

Your concierge should have clear pricing and no issues taking down your menu specifications. They should be able to work with a variety of budgets and do their best to make sure you feel taken care of. Remember, you’re hiring a concierge to take the stress of managing catering for your events off of you, not pile stress on. 

Even if there are hiccups in the process, you should take note of how those hiccups are handled. Professionalism should be a priority for your concierge. If you follow these basic guidelines you should be able to find a concierge that works for you.

Trends in Corporate Catering Concierge Services

The newest way of hiring corporate concierge is through applications. There are dedicated apps similar to the food delivery apps most of us already use that allow you to choose from vetted restaurants near you, help you staff your catered events as needed, and guide you with the catering process. 

This is a great option for all types of corporate catering settings like office lunches, event dinners, and everything in between. The reason it’s getting more popular is because of how easy it is to use for not only the person in charge of catering, but for your staff as well. Some applications allow your staff to vote or rate the meals they had, making it easier to get a more curated menu experience.

Overall, trends are pointing towards a more tech-driven approach.

Corporate Catering Concierge vs. Traditional Catering

Corporate catering concierge services blow traditional catering out of the water. You no longer have to make calls or emails to get pricing estimates, do a ton of logistics work, or balance a million different catering related tasks in the midst of your workday. The food can make or break an event, so it’s easier to just get it right the first time without having the hassle of doing traditional catering all on your own. 

Zerocater’s Corporate Catering Services 

Zerocater can be your personal corporate catering concierge service. Regardless of your event size or budget, we can work with you to find the perfect menu. As we mentioned before, the process of getting catering for your event can be a stressful one, so we’ve got a collection of some of the best restaurants in your area to help you make your events memorable. We even have an AI system that allows us to lean more about you and your staff’s preferences so we can give you better and better suggestions. If you’re interested in getting the concierge experience, reach out and tell us a little bit about your company, budget, events, and anything else you think we should know. We’ll give you the experience you’ve been waiting for!

In the workplace, being in poor health from your dietary choices can have detrimental effects on your ability to perform your daily tasks. Not getting enough amino acids, something found abundantly in sources of protein, can cause a drop in dopamine, leading to mood changes and difficulty focusing. You might feel tired or weak as well. In worst-case scenarios, you might even become anemic, leading to dizzy spells, nausea, and other unpleasant symptoms.

Protein is an easy way to keep your body functioning at its full capacity without running yourself into the ground. We’ll go over some ways protein is beneficial and how you can incorporate protein into your staff’s diets to ensure they feel prepared to take on the day.

Protein and its Benefits at Work

Protein is made up of millions of tiny building blocks called “amino acids”. You might be eating them more often than you think, too. Here’s a list of foods that contain higher amounts of protein:

• Chicken, pork, beef, and other types of meat.
• Animal products like eggs, milk, yogurt, and cheese.
• Nuts and seeds.
• Legumes like beans, lentils, and soy products.
• Certain grains like quinoa. 
• Seafood.

Some foods have lower amounts of protein as well, like leafy greens, broccoli, and corn. It’s almost impossible to avoid protein altogether and you’ve probably ate many of these foods today as you’re reading this. According to the USDA, 10-35% of the calories you consume per day should be protein. They also state you should eat protein throughout your day to remain productive and have the best effect.

There are a ton of great benefits for high protein diets. Everything from keeping your blood pressure down, reducing appetite and hunger frequency, and keeping you fit and healthy. If you’re looking to lose weight, high protein is a great option as well. In a study done with approximately 182,000 people, it was found that diets with a variety of vegetables and protein were associated with increased grey matter in the brain. Healthy employees will always lead to higher levels of productivity no matter how you slice it, so incorporating high protein meals into your office lunches can keep your staff pushing through the day with ease.

Emphasizing High Protein Lunch Ideas For Your Catering Options

Since it’s easy to find protein from a variety of sources, you can maximize your protein through carefully coordinated menu items. Big, delicious chef salads with eggs, cheese, and grilled chicken, exquisite quiches made with ham and cheese, and even just some hummus with pita are all fantastic options for high protein foods. 

As with any meal you choose, taste is key. If the foods you serve don’t taste good, nobody will eat them and you’ll end up with a lot of hungry and disappointed employees. This can make productivity worse, so be sure to look for trusted catering options. You can even use services like Zerocater to make things easy for you. We’ll go into more detail about that later. Let’s look at some of the ways you can maximize your high protein menu.

Vegan and Vegetarian Protein Options

We mentioned that taste is key, but if you’re serving nothing but meat and animal products, some of your staff won’t be able to even try the foods you’re serving. Make sure you cover all your bases when creating your menu so everyone can enjoy the benefits of a high protein meal. A study found that vegans consumed the least total protein compared to other diet groups, meaning they’re more susceptible to the icky effects of low protein. You can help maximize their productivity by offering them delicious legume dishes or tofu-heavy meals.

Variety

Keeping with the theme of getting your staff to eat, try to avoid getting the same things all the time. You don’t have to remove foods that your teams love, but mixing it up every once in a while keeps it fresh. Sometimes having a chicken burrito bowl every day is great, but that can get old pretty fast. Options are also important, try to give your staff high protein meals they can choose from instead of just having one.

Protein Snacks

Snacks are the perfect way to get through meals. Offering protein bars, beef jerky, or nuts and seeds as snacks can make a huge difference in somebody’s ability to function throughout the day. Workers who are satisfied with their job perks like snacks have a 37% increase in achieving sales targets, why not make those snacks high in protein? You can maximize the appeal of offering free food while offering free food that’s beneficial to both you and your employees.

Start Adding High Protein Lunch Ideas Into Your Office Catering

If you’re ready to start incorporating high protein meals into your office catering, Zerocater makes it easy. We offer services for businesses of any size or budget alongside an app that allows you to find the exact types of meals you’d like to serve. We’ll even remember what you liked or didn’t like from your previous orders and make new suggestions with our AI. Since Zerocater is specifically for businesses, you get the benefits of a customized experience for office catering, lunches, and even options for hybrid workers. If you’re interested in learning more about how we can improve your catering ventures, click “Get Pricing” and tell us about yourself. We’re excited to hear from you!

Eating Together Has Substantial Benefits

As we mentioned before, a sense of community is important to the well-being of your team and their ability to work together. Potlucks, among other fun team-centric activities, can bring people closer together. It can even help you bring in some of your remote workers. 79% of employees are excited to get to events for the opportunity to meet other colleagues and build meaningful relationships offline.

Anything that brings your staff closer together is beneficial to strengthening your company culture. A potluck might sound like a small thing you can put together for your staff, but if done correctly, these events and activities have lasting impacts on morale and productivity. 

The Importance of Company Culture

A strong company culture is the glue that keeps your business together. Without it, you’re more likely to see turnover rates rise, productivity decrease, and an overall sense of feeling lost or insecure. If you create engaging experiences, employees are 87% less likely to leave their jobs according to Forbes. That’s because a portion of someone’s life is being spent working for you and they want it to feel like it counts for something.

Office Potluck Ideas and Inspiration

Giving some direction to how you want your company potlucks to go can make a huge difference. You don’t want everyone to bring the same dish (unless you’re having a cooking contest of course), so be sure to communicate when it’s appropriate and create some guidelines for things people should bring in addition to their dish. 

Culture-Centric Potlucks

Have staff bring in a dish from their culture and share. Food is one thing every culture has in common, and it can bring people closer together to learn more about each other’s cultural cuisine. Whether it’s lumpia or pretzel salad, all styles of food should be welcomed and encouraged.

Candy/Chip Salad

Recently this has become popular from TikTok and Facebook trends. The concept is incredibly accessible, especially for people who don’t enjoy cooking. You choose a theme, like “sour candy” or “spicy chips”, and each employee can bring in one or two things based on that theme. Then, your staff gets in a line, announces what they brought, and dumps it in a large bowl or bin. By the end of it, you mix everything together to create a “salad” that everyone gets to enjoy. 

This is great for meetings, and staff introductions, and perfect for slow days to keep the energy up. Posting a video to social media is optional, but encouraged!

Cooking Contests/Cook-offs 

Cook-offs are great for those who love a challenge (and even better for people with empty bellies). Chili, mac and cheese, desserts, whatever your staff is into. You can even include fun monetary or gift prizes to the winners as a motivation. Events like this cause buzz around the office and give people something to look forward to, both contestants and judges alike. Be sure to encourage people with dietary restrictions to participate and flex their skills as well.

Holiday Potlucks

‘Holiday’ can mean anything here, from Christmas to Halloween. Thanksgiving potlucks, for example, are popular because they allow your staff to have a sense of togetherness they might not find on other days of the year. From an organizing standpoint, this one should have a lot of communication involved. Creating signup sheets ensures there are no hiccups so you and your staff can focus on having a great time. 

There are a ton of holidays to choose from, so don’t limit yourself to the ones you already know. Let your staff suggest holiday potlucks based on their cultural holidays too. The availability and openness to those types of things can help your staff grow and promotes a company culture of caring for every employee individually. 

Rely On Your Catering Provider for Office Potluck Ideas

Your staff can’t do a potluck for every event, so for everything else, we’ve got you covered. Zerocater is an app that helps companies cater their events, office lunches, and more. Our AI allows us to learn more about the foods your staff likes and doesn’t like to give you new food suggestions whenever you order. We even have a phone app that allows your employees to choose the foods they want to eat, reducing wasted food and wasted money. If you’re interested in seeing what we can do to up your catering game, send us a message by clicking “Get Pricing” and tell us about yourself. We work with all company sizes and budgets.

The link between diet and mental health has been a big topic of discussion in recent years based on new research showing how the food we eat affects our bodies. We’re going to go over some of that research and how it impacts someone’s ability to function at work. We’ll also help you learn more about healthy foods you can provide to your staff to help them feel better while working.

Healthy Body, Healthy Mind: Food and Mental Health

While diet can’t cure depression, anxiety, or other serious mental health problems, it can help with some of the symptoms. Brain fog, mood changes, and appetite can be remedied with nutritious meals. Even people who have very mild depression or anxiety can benefit from a healthy diet. In a study done by Harvard, it was found that 95% of your serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract, meaning the foods you eat can affect the serotonin levels in your body. It also goes on to talk about how gut health affects the serotonin produced by your brain.

When you have a less healthy diet, it can make symptoms worse. Sometimes fast food is the only option when you’re on the run to work, and skipping meals can have detrimental effects on how your brain functions. Skipping meals specifically is a common issue in the workplace and can lead to drops in blood sugar that lower mood and energy as an immediate side effect. Long-term problems from not eating can include vitamin deficiencies, metabolic problems, chronic anxiety, and digestive issues.

Since it’s commonplace to skip meals in corporate culture, making an effort to have office lunches on the regular through catering can help encourage your staff to eat and have healthier meals. You have the power to help your employees improve their mental health. If not, your productivity might suffer. Decreased cognitive function and energy, and increased depression and anxiety mean you’ll be slowing down quite a bit.

What Foods Help Mood and Brain Function?

In a study done by the American Society for Nutrition, 99% of every test subject overestimated the healthfulness of their diet. This means most Americans don’t get their daily amount of nutrients. We’ve got some examples of healthy foods with an explanation of why each is important. The best part is, you can incorporate a lot of these things into menus that taste good. If things taste good, people are more likely to eat it and function better, which is the goal.

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens such as broccoli, spinach, and bok choy are rich in vitamins that help with cognitive function. You’ll have an easier time solving complex problems and retaining information when you have a diet rich in greens. In a study, it was even observed that leafy greens can help prevent memory diseases as you get older.

Fatty Acids

Fatty acids are found in nuts, seeds, and fish most commonly. Omega-3s can help prevent heart disease through blood clot prevention and increase brain function. The increase in brain function can help you stay focused and reduce brain fog.

Lean Proteins

Lean proteins like chicken, eggs, fish, lentils, and Greek yogurt have specifically been cited as foods that’ll improve your mental health. Protein can also help regulate your blood sugar levels, help you retain muscle mass, and give you stronger bones. The blood sugar regulation can help you maintain a better mood throughout the day and prevent sugar cravings. 

Complex Carbs

Complex carbs come from fruits and vegetables, whole grains, potatoes, quinoa, and brown rice. Complex carbs take a lot longer to digest, giving you sustained energy for longer periods. Simple carbs would be the opposite of this, referring to sugary foods that digest quickly and spike your blood sugar for a much shorter period of time. 

What Foods Negatively Affect the Body and Mind?

There’s no such thing as “bad food”. As we mentioned before, the worst thing you can do for your body is not eat anything at all. However, these are foods you can try to limit, especially if you’re going to be feeding your staff.

Highly Processed Foods

This is a bit of a buzzword, but in this case, we’re mainly talking about greasy snack foods and pre-packaged meals with a lot of preservatives. The reason these foods feel bad is because they lack vital nutrients. Mass-produced snacks and meals try to go for taste and calories, which is fine sometimes, but if eaten regularly it can cause cognitive decline. 

Sugary Foods

Cookies, cakes, ice creams, and sodas are all very delicious. The sugar crash that comes after isn’t so great, however. If you’ve ever had one of those big sugary coffees or eaten a bunch of sweets at once and felt like you needed to lie down afterward, it might’ve been a sugar crash. Eating sugar and having the crash can cause anxiety, confusion, and irritability which isn’t good when you’re at work and it’s definitely not good if you’re already having mental health problems.

Saturated Fats

Butter, red meat, cheese, all the good stuff. If you eat too much of this, it’s yet another group of foods that negatively affects your cognitive function. In fact, the article linked goes on to say too many saturated fats can lead to brain inflammation. 

Maximize the Health and Mental Wellbeing of Your Staff

You can take all the information you learned here and implement it into a powerful catering menu that’ll help nourish your employees. Even if you provide one healthy meal per week to your staff, that can make all the difference. Providing nuts, seeds, jerkys, protein bars, and other things as snacks can be a huge help as well. 

The main thing to remember is how things like depression and anxiety can be improved through food. When you lift up your staff, they’ll rise to the occasion. It’s a simple and easy way to boost productivity and morale through investing in your employees and showing you care about their mental health.

Start Your Mental Health Improvement Journey

If you’re ready to implement healthier foods into your catering options, we’ve got you covered. Zerocater is an app just for businesses that need catering, whether it’s a large event or an office lunch. We have options that allow you to filter out dietary choices, making it easy to choose healthier options for your staff. Regardless of your company size or budget, we can work with you. Just click “Get Pricing” and tell us about yourself, and we’ll help you get started on improving your staff’s mental health with delicious food!

You don’t need to spend the afternoon peeling apples or roasting pumpkins (or indulge in Halloween candy) to get into the spirit of autumn. These healthy snacks only take a few minutes to make, and are perfect for sharing with your team at the office. Whether you’re looking for healthy fall snacks to tuck into a lunchbox or office snack ideas for a fall party, these six finger foods are sure to delight.

Fall Office Snacks that Are Healthy

• Mini caramel apple dippers
• Pumpkin pie hummus
• Tangerine pumpkins
• Cinnamon apple chips
• Boonanas
• Candy corn fruit pops

Mini Caramel Apple Dippers

Caramel apples are a fall favorite, but the sticky mess that goes with them isn’t. These mini caramel apple dippers are healthy and bite-sized! They have the sweet, gooey quality of caramel apples, and they’re a cinch to make (and eat).

Tools:

• Melon baller
• Chopstick

Ingredients:

• Granny Smith apples
• Pretzel sticks
• 1 tub of caramel dipping sauce

Instructions:

1. Use the melon baller to carve balls out of the apples.
2. Poke a small hole in the top of each ball with the chopstick.
3. Insert a pretzel in each hole.
4. Serve immediately with caramel dipping sauce.

Pumpkin Pie Hummus

If you’ve ever dreamed of eating pumpkin pie for every meal, this hummus may be your new favorite fall snack. Creamy, sweet, and spicy, this hummus, adapted from Thyme and Toast, is the perfect fall dip for apple slices, graham crackers, or pita chips.

Tools:

• Food processor or blender

Ingredients:

• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Add the ingredients to the food processor or blender. Pulse until combined, then blend on a higher speed until the hummus has a creamy consistency.
2. Serve with your favorite dippers.

Tangerine Pumpkins

What’s not to love about tangerines? They’re delicious, easy to peel, and hit the supermarket stands in the fall when most of us are in need of juicy sweetness. Believe it or not, tangerines just got even better, thanks to this incredibly simple, healthy recipe. Delight your guests with these adorable miniature pumpkins.

Ingredients:

• Tangerines
• Celery stalks and leaves

Instructions:

1. Peel tangerines, removing as much of the white pith as possible.
2. Wash the celery, and cut into 1- to 2-inch narrow pieces.
3. Insert the celery into the peeled tangerines.
4. Arrange the celery leaves to look like pumpkin leaves.
5. Serve and enjoy.

Cinnamon Apple Chips

When apple and cinnamon get together, good things happen. These sweet, crispy apple chips are proof that pies, cobblers, and strudels may be nice, but all you really need are the basics.

Tools:

• Very sharp knife
• 2 baking sheets
• Parchment paper

Ingredients:

• 2 apples
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 225ºF.
2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Wash and dry the apples.
4. Slice the apples as thin as possible, leaving the skin on.
5. Arrange the apple slices in a single layer on the baking sheets, leaving a little space between each slice.
6. Sprinkle cinnamon over the slices.
7. Bake for an hour, turn the slices over, and continue baking until the chips are crispy. Time will vary depending on the type of apple, the thickness of the slices, and your crispiness preference.
8. Cool, serve, and enjoy.

Boonanas

If you’re searching for Halloween treats without tons of sugar or artificial flavors, look no further than these frozen easy fall treats. Frozen bananas are naturally sweet and a great source of fiber and potassium. Protein-packed Greek yogurt and natural peanut butter transform them into nutritious and ghoulish mummies and ghosts. While these set in the freezer, you can work on some fun office decorations to really get in the Halloween spirit!

Tools:

• Large baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Small microwave-safe bowl
• 16 frozen treat sticks
• Knife
• Small spoon

Ingredients:

• 4 large bananas
• 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• Honey or maple syrup to sweeten the yogurt (optional)
• Miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter

Instructions:

1. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Peel 2 bananas and slice each in half crosswise, then slice them in half lengthwise to make 4 long, narrow pieces. Insert a popsicle stick into the bottom of each piece, and arrange on the baking sheet. (These will be the mummies.)
3. Peel the remaining 2 bananas, cut the pointy tips off, then slice them into 3 equally sized round logs. Insert a popsicle stick into the bottom of each piece, and arrange them on the baking sheet. (These will be ghosts.)
4. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes or overnight.
5. Mix the yogurt with the sweetener to your preferred sweetness (optional).
6. Remove the bananas from the freezer, dip each one in yogurt, and return to the baking sheet.
7. Place 2 miniature chocolate chips on each ghost for eyes. (Don’t place eyes on the mummies yet.)
8. Return the baking sheet to the freezer for an hour to let the yogurt set.
9. Add the peanut butter to a bowl and heat it in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds until smooth and creamy.
10. Stir the peanut butter and, using the small spoon, drizzle it on top of the mummies in a crisscross pattern to make bandages.
11. Place mini chocolate chips on the mummies for eyes.
12. Return the sheet to the freezer for 30 minutes.
13. Serve and enjoy.

Candy Corn Fruit Pops

Nothing says Halloween like candy corn, but unfortunately, candy corn boasts 12 not-so-healthy ingredients and zero nutrition. These fun candy-corn fruit pops, on the other hand, are all natural and rich in nutrients.

Tools:

• 3 lollipop sticks
• Knife
• Bowl

Ingredients:

• Pineapple slices
• Cantaloupe
• 1 banana

Instructions:

1. Cut a pineapple slice into 3 wedges.
2. Cut the cantaloupe into 3 trapezoids that fit on top of the pineapple wedges.
3. Cut the banana into 3 cones that fit on top of the cantaloupe
4. Layer a piece of pineapple, cantaloupe, and banana onto each stick to look like candy corn.
5. Slice the rest of the fruit and mix it together in the bowl.
6. Make the candy corn pops stand up in the bowl by spearing several pieces of the fruit in the bowl with the bottom of the lollipop sticks.
7. Serve immediately.

Non-DIY Healthy Fall Snacks for the Office

If the DIY route isn’t your thing—or you’re craving fall flavors but don’t have time to whip up a snack at home—there are a number of holiday party catering ideas you can tap into. Look for fall-themed snacks and starters on local menus and try foods that take advantage of seasonal veggies, like this kale parsnip salad or roasted Brussels sprouts from Black Hearth. Or if you’re looking for something sweet, try baked goods with cinnamon, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, and/or ginger, like these cinnamon horchata mini cupcakes from Mission Minis.

Ready, Set, Make

Fall brings more than enough opportunities to indulge in not-so-healthy snacks. Your friends and family will love munching on these simple, cute, and healthy fall snacks.