Food ideas for your next spring event

Spring is the time we start emerging outside and being more social. Consider new healthy ideas to freshen up the meals and snacks that are offered to clients and staff.

When organising morning or afternoon teas:

• 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.
• request that any sauces, dressing and spreads be served on the side.
• provide small servings.
• 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
• use fruit or vegetable ingredients e.g. banana or carrot/zucchini.

When organising lunches:

Sandwiches, wraps and rolls:

• provide wholemeal, multigrain or high fibre breads in preference to plain white.
• avoid adding butter or spreads
• 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.

Hot finger foods:

• oven baked products instead of deep-fried e.g. oven baked potato wedges.
• a range of filo pastries instead of puff pastry 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:

• 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.
• Bruschetta topped with a mixture of diced tomato and basil.

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.