5 Reasons Your Company Catering Table Should Include More Seafood
Posted by Sara on Thursday, August 28th, 2014 with 2 Comments
When it comes to company catering, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut: pastas, chicken breast, the occasional hand-carved hunk of roasted meat. But if you would like to really make an impression and deliver a delicious and healthy meal, it might be time to get fishy.
Seafood may not be the most common catering choice, but it certainly is a smart one! Fish is healthy, feels a little more special than chicken or beef, and is full of nutrients that help promote cognition and focus — the perfect recipe for a mid-day break in a long day of meetings, training sessions, or other work-related events.
Seared ahi tuna is a delicious (and healthy) alternative to the same-old pastas and chicken breasts on the company catering table.
Image source: Flickr user philliecasablanca
New research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine makes it a little more clear just how good eating fish can be for our brains. In a study that involved dietary reporting and high-resolution brain scans, researchers found that eating seafood on a regular basis was associated with greater amounts of grey matter in the brain. “Our study shows that people who ate a diet that included baked or broiled, but not fried, fish have larger brain volumes in regions associated with memory and cognition,” the study’s senior investigator, Dr. James Becker said.
Still not convinced? We’ve got five more reasons to “go fish” on the company catering table!
1) Eating fish regularly can protect your brain as you age. As the University of Pittsburgh study revealed, seafood consumption is linked to better brain health – and other research suggests that the nutrients in fish may help prevent the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease later in life.
2) Many species of fatty fish (like salmon and tuna) are rich sources of vitamin D – which is quite rare. Usually, we have to rely on sunlight for most of our vitamin D, but seafood is one of the few ways we can get more vitamin D from our diet. And it’s worth seeking out — vitamin D is linked to health benefits as wide-ranging as building strong bones and muscle, boosting our immune systems, and even preventing depression.
3) Fatty fish also tend to contain high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids, which can protect your heart from plaque buildup, arrhythmias, and high blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends eating fatty fish twice a week, minimum.
4) Seafood is one of the richest dietary sources of selenium, a trace mineral that has been associated with cancer, cardiovascular disease, and thyroid disease. As an antioxidant, selenium may help reduce the risk of certain kinds of cancers (including prostate, lung, colorectal, and bladder) by up to 40 percent.
5) Fish is less predictable! Chicken and beef are delicious – no doubt about that – but if you’re planning a special event or want to impress clients or conference attendees, there’s no easier way to up your company catering game than by choosing fish. Since few Americans eat fish frequently (the average per capita consumption is 15.8 pounds in an entire year, or only 3.5 ounces per week), it’s likely to feel more like a treat than poultry or red meat (which both hover around 60 pounds per year apiece, though most of us favor chicken these days).
Ready to make seafood the centerpiece at your next company catering event? Look no further than Waiter.com for the perfect seafood dish. From Mexican fish tacos to Thai fish curries to ever-popular sushi, our wide range of menus and easy online ordering make providing a healthy, wholesome seafood meal a breeze!
When it comes to feeding employees and coworkers, make your company's food program really count! If your workplace dining plan needs to take it up a notch — or if you don't have one at all — Waiter.com is here to help. From Virtual Cafeteria Service to diverse menus to local takeout & delivery, Waiter.com offers customizable dining solutions for every business and budget. Contact us today to get started!
This is definitely the way to go. Eating healthier doesn’t always mean having to sacrifice taste and when working with seafood there is plenty of dish choices.
Agreed – healthy doesn’t have to mean boring!