Healthy Desserts to Make Overtime Meals Something to Work For!
Posted by Kimberly B. on Thursday, September 11th, 2014 with 6 Comments
Sure, these taste great — but will they leave your office energized for work?
Photo by Kimberly Bryant.
Life is short. Eat dessert first.
― Jacques Torres
If there’s one thing that can bring an office together, it’s a shared affection for dessert. The right treats can make a positive dining experience even better, and provide the perfect end to any meal. They can also work great on their own, in the form of an afternoon snack or small overtime meal. But, wait — there’s a challenge with most desserts! Not only are they filled with sugars and fats, but many also contain artificial ingredients that are decidedly unhealthy. While there’s nothing wrong with treating ourselves to these kinds of sugary treats every now and then, we need to steer clear of serving them to our employees: these foods will zap employee productivity (hello, sugar crash!), and leave them feeling bloated, lethargic, and craving more. Offering unhealthy desserts to our office also undermines the goals of any staff members who are trying to eat healthier, or lose weight. For these reasons and more, it’s in everyone’s best interest to provide our staff with healthy choices at work.
Healthy desserts can still taste great by using organic honey for sweetener, and carob chips instead of chocolate.
Photo by Kimberly Bryant.
Healthy desserts to please everyone
When it comes to healthy treats, there’s an abundance of healthy options we can try. Instead of eating chemicals and fake substances, why not explore desserts made with nutritious, wholesome ingredients? While food movements like veganism and raw foodism aren’t for everyone, they offer interesting philosophies and inspiring alternatives for healthy eating. A stricter form of vegetarianism, veganism “is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products.” Like vegetarians, vegans avoid meat, in addition to staying away from dairy products and eggs. Raw foodists, meanwhile, are more concerned with food temperature. Evidence has shown that cooking removes some of the nutritional value from foods like vegetables. Some people even prefer to combine the two: raw veganism is usually based around seeds, nuts, and fruit. And yet, there’s an astounding amount of delicious raw vegan dishes — including some truly incredible desserts.
Now, if you’re accustomed to eating a typical American diet, you might be (understandably) skeptical that a raw vegan dessert can satisfy your sugar cravings, let alone an entire office’s worth! Let’s take a look at one in particular that will excite your staff’s tastebuds, and leave them feeling healthy.
Serving our staff sugary treats can hinder their productivity.
Photo by Kimberly Bryant.
Raw vegan cheesecake
Imagine looking forward to tucking into a healthy, delicious thick slice of cheesecake when you’re working overtime. Sounds nice, right? Offering mindful incentives like nutritious food is a respectful way to keep your office fueled while feeling motivated and happy. Raw vegan cheesecake is one such healthy dessert that can work this kind of magic.
First off, there’s absolutely no need for your staff to be full of raw food enthusiasts (or fans of veganism, for that matter) in order to enjoy this healthy dessert. With ingredients like “soaked cashews, coconut milk, coconut oil, lemon juice and agave nectar for the cake, (…) and dates and raw walnuts (or almonds)” for the crust, it’s easy to see where all of the nutritional benefit is coming from. Known to be “jam-packed with nutritional content,” cashew nuts are high in protein, essential minerals, and a natural source of healthy fat — the good kind that everyone needs to keep functioning at our optimal level. Similarly, the fatty acids in coconut oil not only have the potential to stave off infections, but have also been shown to reduce hunger. Instead of going back for seconds, healthy desserts like raw vegan cheesecake can actually help employees notice when they’re truly full.
A healthy dessert that tastes delicious, like raw vegan cheesecake, will leave your office feeling motivated.
Image source: Mattie Hagedorn via wikimedia.org
From orange chocolate and strawberry, to lemon and mango — there are as many raw vegan cheesecake choices as there are regular cakes. But cheesecake is only the tip of the healthy dessert iceberg: getting creative with our food choices allows us to see how many different kinds of healthy desserts we can order for our office — and encourage mindful eating, along with a healthy lifestyle. Providing mindful food for our employees is an important part of creating a positive company culture. What kind of healthy desserts can Waiter.com help you order for your staff? The benefits are endless: our taste buds are satisfied, our employees get to try something new, and everyone leaves the table feeling healthier — and more ready than ever to work hard.
What other healthy desserts could you surprise your staff with at overtime meals? Let us know in the comments! We’d love to start building a master list of delicious, nutritious treats.
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!
Although vegan dishes can lack some inspiration, that raw vegan cheesecake is enough to get even the most die-hard office carnivore interested. It would be great to take this kind of food to work to support the health of colleagues, but the sheer expense of all of the quality ingredients would require everyone chip in for the cost of it!
Hi Val,
Thanks for reading! You’re right that these types of dishes can be expensive, though there are ways to work around it depending on where you live. Shopping at local markets, or small family-owned shops for the nuts and oils can make things more affordable. And, as you mention, if everyone were willing to chip in a little extra, it might be possible to have this as a monthly or bi-monthly treat!
I always love looking for new healthy recipe ideas. These recipes all look too yummy to choose just one but my favorite one I think is the raw vegan cheesecake. Yum! I can’t wait to make my own.
Hi Terri,
Thanks for the comment. I’m also really excited to try some of these out at home. Have fun playing around in the kitchen!
Oh that cheesecake looks to die for, I’m a have to convince my wife to give it a try.
Hey Marty, thanks for reading! I agree: the vegan cheesecake looks (and tastes!) amazing. Good luck convincing the wife! 🙂