When organising catering:
- always have water (plain, tap, spring, mineral or sparkling) as the preferred drink choice
- make reduced fat milk, yoghurt, cheese the default choices
- provide fruit and vegetable platters
- choose unsalted nuts
- request that sauces, dressing and spreads be served on the side.
Sandwiches, wraps and rolls:
Request the caterer to:
- provide wholemeal, multigrain or high fibre breads in preference to plain white
- avoid adding butter or spreads
- if required choose healthier spreads such as hummus, avocado and reduced fat mayonnaise or a thin scraping of margarine - include lots of salad and vegetable fillings
- use reduced fat cheese and lean, unprocessed meats and alternatives, such as roast beef, skinless chicken, egg and tuna.
Baked Goods:
Request the caterer to:
- provide small serving sizes
- not use icing or confectionary e.g. chocolate chips
- minimise the use of sugar, honey or syrups
- base baked goods on mostly on wholemeal flour and use fruit or vegetable ingredients e.g. banana or carrot/zucchini.
Hot finger foods
Request the caterer to provide:
- oven baked products instead of deep-fried e.g. oven baked potato wedges
- a range of filo pastries instead of puff or shortcrust e.g. spinach and ricotta parcels
- egg based options such as vegetable frittatas or zucchini slice
- savoury pancakes.
Avoid or minimise the use of salt in preparation
Light bites
Request the caterer to provide:
- rice paper rolls with lots of vegetable fillings instead of deep-fried spring rolls
- sushi pieces without battered or crumbed fillings
- legume (e.g. hummus), reduced fat dairy (e.g. tzatziki), vegetable (e.g. carrot/beetroot) or salsa dips with vegetable crudités or wholegrain crackers
- vegetable and ricotta filled wonton cups.
Limit foods and drinks that are high in fat, sugar and salt, including:
- fried or deep-fried foods
- butter or cream
- processed meats such as bacon, salami and devon
- croissants, donuts and sweet pastries
- chips, crisps and other similar products
- chocolate, lollies and confectionary products
- iced or cream-filled biscuits and cream cakes
- soft drinks and other sugary drinks including cordial.
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