Posted by
Sara on
Friday, August 8th, 2014 with
5 Comments
Donuts are great, whether they’re dusted with powdery sugar, bursting with jelly, or simply shining with a humble glaze. Nobody can argue that donuts aren’t delicious. But sometimes, a box of donuts on the conference table— even delicious, warm, fresh-from-the-donut-shop donuts— won’t cut it. For an important client, a particular boss, or just a special occasion, you need some amazing breakfast meeting food ideas… and that’s where viennoiserie comes in.
Nobody makes magic out of flour, water, and yeast like the French– and viennoiserie is a term reserved for a special category of baked goods that we boorish Americans very simply call “pastries.” Viennoiserie are baked from two kinds of dough: pate viennoise (sweetened, yeast-leavened dough) or pate feuilletee (puff pastry). Croissants are viennoiserie. Brioche is viennoiserie. In fact, most of the buttery, intricately layered, simultaneously airy and rich French treats that are considered “breakfast” pastries are viennoiserie… and nothing will up your breakfast game at the next big meeting like a beautiful array of these mouthwatering treats.
Wake up your next breakfast meeting with viennoiserie.
Image source: Flickr user frenchy
Hungry yet? Get ready. Because we’ve rounded up some truly sublime examples of viennoiserie to inspire your next early-morning catering order!
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Posted by
Sara on
Thursday, August 7th, 2014 with
5 Comments
During a long work day, your lunch break should accomplish two things: it should provide a much-needed break from your computer screen, clients, or piles of papers, and it should include a meal that leaves you feeling satisfied and re-energized for the rest of the day. But, too many times, we chow down on brown-bag lunches or food delivery orders that don’t get the job done– even when we try to eat healthy foods. If you’re feeling hungry and craving a snack by mid-afternoon, it might be time to rethink your lunch.
A new study published in the journal Obesity, conducted at the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, might have the answer: pulses.
While the term might be unfamiliar, you’ve probably eaten lots of pulses in the past! Pulses are a certain classification of legume that includes lentils, chickpeas, and several kinds of beans. Their secret dietary power is they are healthy– not heavy. Eating more pulses can help you feel full!
Pulses can be found in all kinds of dishes – like falafel and hummus, both made from chickpeas.
Image source: flickr user neilconway
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Posted by
Sara on
Wednesday, August 6th, 2014 with
4 Comments
August isn’t only about celebrating sandwiches– it’s also National Breastfeeding Month and it’s the perfect time to think about how employers can support their breastfeeding employees.
As new moms return to the workplace after maternity leave ends, they will be navigating the balance of raising a baby and continuing a career. Providing a formal breastfeeding support program– or simply an informal, breastfeeding-friendly environment– will help make the transition easier on new moms… and help keep your company’s newest extended family member healthy and happy. From tailoring office meals to nursing moms’ nutritional needs, to providing safe and comfortable lactation rooms– there are many ways a workplace can become more breastfeeding-friendly.
Make the workplace friendly for the whole family.
Image source: Flickr user moppet65535
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Posted by
Sara on
Tuesday, August 5th, 2014 with
Comments Off on 4 Lessons on How NOT to Order Office Lunches from the 2014 Xtreme Eating “Awards” Comments
Last week, the Internet had a field day with the release of the 2014 Xtreme Eating award winners. Every year, the non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest cherry-picks a handful of the restaurant world’s worst offenders— dishes that pack in astonishing calorie counts, days’ worth of saturated fats, and enough sugar to make your teeth hurt just by reading about it.
But is there anything useful to learn from these “awards”? Is there any science that can actually be applied in the public interest? Because let’s be honest, most of us aren’t ordering up a huge fried seafood platter for our daily office lunch, or even treating ourselves to a steak “garnished” with Italian sausage links every Friday.
A simple pasta with cream sauce can pack in an extreme amount of saturated fat.
Image source: Flickr user jeffreyww
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Posted by
Sara on
Monday, August 4th, 2014 with
6 Comments
If you’re on the lookout for a way to liven up office breakfasts or business lunches, here are three words that could solve all your problems: dim sum delivery.
Now, purists might consider the whole idea of dim sum delivery a cardinal sin – after all, half the fun lies in the chaotic flow of classic Cantonese dim sum restaurants. The rumbling of carts, delivering little steamer baskets from table to table, newbies trying to identify the contents of a pillowy bun or tightly-wrapped dumpling… there’s nothing quite like going out for dim sum.
But, consider how bringing at least part of that experience to the office might bring a little energy to the typical breakfast meetings or business lunches. Attendees can sample a wide range of dishes (kind of like tapas), likely try some new and unfamiliar foods, and there will be no shortage of conversation starters when chicken feet are on the table.
Bring the excitement of a dim sum restaurant right to the office.
Image source: flickr user dnyluong
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Posted by
Sara on
Friday, August 1st, 2014 with
Comments Off on 7 Delicious Ways August’s Office Meals Should Be Celebrating National Sandwich Month Comments
Sandwiches are one of those items that are so easy to overlook when it comes to listing your favorite foods… even though most of us have been eating meat/cheese/vegetables between slices of bread our entire lives, on all kinds of occasions. From summertime picnic fare to office meals at our desks to satisfying late-night cravings, sandwiches are one of the most versatile, everyday foods. But if you eat something every day, do you ever really stop to appreciate it?
Well, now is the time. August is National Sandwich Month, and it’s time for us to make like Joey Tribbiani and marvel at the wonder of the sandwich. And why not include this monthlong extravaganza when planning office meals? If your workplace provides food for employees during meetings or training sessions or as overtime meals, you likely already serve a lot of sandwiches… only they might be mundane cold-cut combos that come in box lunches or on deli trays.
A good lobster roll is the perfect way to kick off National Sandwich Month.
Image source: Flickr user saeba
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Posted by
Sara on
Thursday, July 31st, 2014 with
6 Comments
Ah, these long mid-summer days: lounging by the pool, strolling through a farmer’s market, hitting up the driving range, long bike rides… and sitting at your desk, working away, just like you do all year long.
OK, maybe that last one isn’t everyone’s idea of a perfect summer day. But regardless of the weather outside, life in the office — a meeting, a deadline, the same old office lunch — goes on. And on. And on.
Let’s put it this way: The New York Times just published a crowdsourced sonnet about summer in the office… and the first line begins “How like a prison is my cubicle.”
Everyone knows that summertime in the office can be a real drag. Employees are mentally checked out before their big vacation, or trying to catch up from the time off they took earlier in July. Those with kids are getting ready for back to school, and meanwhile, the sunshine and warm weather makes everyone want to just be outside!
Fish tacos & elote are unexpected choices for an impromptu picnic!
Image source: Flickr user joo0ey
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Posted by
Sara on
Wednesday, July 30th, 2014 with
Comments Off on The Secret to a Healthier Business Lunch: Forget the Fat-Free Salad Dressing Comments
Salads seem like the perfect choice for a business lunch or conference meal: they won’t weigh you down or make you sleepy like a heavy sandwich or pasta dish, they’re easy to eat while you carry on a conversation, and they’re good for you. But is your salad really as healthy as you think it is? Not if you’re ordering one of those ubiquitous fat-free vinaigrettes.
In yet another example of how the fat-phobic diets of the 1990s were a terrible idea, the habit of choosing low-fat or fat-free salad dressing — or skipping it altogether — is actually making your salad less good for you. Fat-free dressings may mean you’re consuming fewer calories, but they also are missing a key component that vegetables need to do their work… which is improving your health and wellness, probably the whole reason you’re ordering a salad in the first place.
A little fat can do your salad a lot of good.
Image source: Flickr user Ewan M
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Posted by
Sara on
Tuesday, July 29th, 2014 with
2 Comments
Americans tend to be bad at taking breaks. We let our vacation time go to waste, use our smartphones in bed, and of course, are notoriously awful about actually relaxing on our lunch breaks. We just order up our go-to food delivery and might never even leave our desks.
And believe it or not, some experts are actually starting to propose that skipping your lunch break might not be such a bad thing… only instead of staying glued to your computer, they suggest you head to the gym.
Lunch hour workouts are, in fact, a growing trend, partly thanks to the workplace wellness programs that are taking off in popularity as the Affordable Care Act continues to incentivize employers’ focus on preventative health. And it really can be a brilliant idea: you’ll get a mental break from the daily grind, and even if it’s only 30 minutes, that exercise can make a big difference in your health and energy levels.
OK, but what about actually eating? That’s where food delivery can be a lifesaver: arrange for a post-workout lunch to be waiting for you at the office, and you can eat when you get back to your desk. While you don’t want to squander the positive benefits of working out (like weight loss and boosted energy levels) by downing a monster burrito or greasy burger, it is crucial to eat healthy, protein-rich food to replenish your muscles and get the biggest bang for your workout buck.
A burrito bowl is one choice for post-workout fuel.
Image source: Flickr user corruptkitten
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Posted by
Sara on
Monday, July 28th, 2014 with
Comments Off on 4 Simple Lessons from Seattle’s Amazingly Effective Workplace Wellness Plan Comments
Let’s be honest: local governments aren’t always famous for their efficiency. But when it comes to workplace wellness, the folks in the public sector in King County, Washington — where a little city called Seattle presides as the county seat — are doing something very, very right.
A recent report from Stateline, a news outpost from the non-profit Pew Charitable Trusts, described the astonishing success of Healthy Incentives, the King County workplace wellness program. Over the course of its first five years, the county invested $15 million into the health of its employees. And Healthy Incentives worked: smoking rates dropped from 12 percent to under five percent, and more than 2,000 overweight or obese employees lost five percent (or more) of their body weight. Oh, and the county saved $46 million in health care costs along the way.
Sound like wellness results your company could use? Workplace wellness is a tricky beast: it can boost employee morale, reduce absenteeism and boost productivity, and save money… but research shows that actually achieving results can be quite challenging.
That brings us to the point: what can your workplace learn from King County’s success? Whether you have $15 million or $1500 to invest in employee wellness, there are a few lessons that any company can learn — and apply — from this inspiring case study.
Providing healthy meeting food is one way King County helped promote employee wellness.
Image source: Flickr user taedc
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