Delicious Greek Food: Fresh Meal Ideas For Walking Business Lunches

Posted by Kimberly B. on Thursday, September 25th, 2014 with Comments Off on Delicious Greek Food: Fresh Meal Ideas For Walking Business Lunches Comments

We typically think of office meals as something to be done, well, at the office. But what about introducing a new kind of business lunch into the mix — one that involves getting outdoors and into nature? Walking lunches are a great way to shake up our usual meal-time routine at work. If you find your office in need of a creative jolt, taking staff outside can be just the thing to get the blood flowing.

The basics of a walking lunch are simple: it involves going on a nice walk — the route is usually pre-planned — with employees, while snacking on appetizers, stopping at a picnic-area to eat the main course, and then walking back to the office while munching contentedly on dessert. Combining elements from company picnics, walking lunches offer a fresh space in which staff can unwind and re-energize.

Why walk in the first place?

Walking lunches do require more effort than the typical in-office meal; a few people will need to carry picnic baskets (housing the main course), and everyone will be asked to move around during their lunch break, rather than sit stationary at their desks. But rest assured, walking lunches give us much more in return than the average seated business lunch in the office.

For starters, a change in scenery from indoors to outdoors makes it easier for employees to truly relax. If we never stray from our usual workspace, it’s difficult to take a real break. Ironically, this can cause a decrease in both productivity and innovation. After all, creativity comes when we least expect it, when our minds are at rest.

Walking, meanwhile, is not only healthy for our bodies, but also our minds: “When we go for a walk, the heart pumps faster, circulating more blood and oxygen not just to the muscles but to all the organs—including the brain. Many experiments have shown that after or during exercise, even very mild exertion, people perform better on tests of memory and attention.” If office morale is feeling low, often a good walk in nature with some delicious, healthy food is just what the doctor ordered.

Walking lunches might even lead your employees to greater success in problem-solving and generating more brilliant ideas: “Because we don’t have to devote much conscious effort to the act of walking, our attention is free to wander—to overlay the world before us with a parade of images from the mind’s theatre. This is precisely the kind of mental state that studies have linked to innovative ideas and strokes of insight.”

Greek food on-the-go

To get started with your walking lunch, pick a pleasant destination where you can eat the main portion of the meal, like a nearby park, or boardwalk with benches. There are many cuisines conducive to a walking lunch: Greek food is a great choice with its lively, positive energy, and simple, substantial ingredients.

Appetizers for the journey

During the first part of the walk, offer some small, tasty snacks that employees can eat with their hands while chatting with colleagues as they stroll. We suggest ordering oven-roasted Greek potatoes and baked vegetables like eggplant, which are yummy and also vegetarian-friendly. These will tide staff members over until the main meal, and give them a fun subject to talk about besides work. Keep napkins readily available, or hand out serviettes beforehand.

A casual Greek main course

Upon arriving at the destination, such as a local park or field, encourage employees to eat while lounging on picnic blankets, or even standing up. Anything that gets away from sitting in a chair will keep the fresh energy flowing. Classic Greek salads for health-conscious or vegetarian employees provide a good source of protein from the feta, and nutrients from tomatoes and olives. The meat-lovers, on the other hand, will be happy with hearty gyros (pronounced yee-ros) made with pita bread, and traditionally filled with roasted pork, tomato, a yogurt-based sauce, and onions. Many restaurants these days offer a chicken option, so be sure to check with employees for preferences beforehand.

If you’ve previously ordered gyros for the office like they were going out of style, try changing it up by opting instead for Greek style turkey burgers. This is a healthier version of the traditional Greek staple of the gyro, but with turkey meat, olives, feta, garlic, oregano, basil, and tzatiki sauce.

Sparkling drinks and sweet desserts

To quench employees’ thirst, a glass of zippy lemonade (or, Lemonada as the Greeks called it back in the seventies), and orange juice (known as Portokalada) will do the trick. Traditionally these were “made with fresh strained orange juice or lemon juice either mixed with carbonated water or flat mineral water and you added sugar to taste.” Small bottles of water — still and sparkling — will also be appreciated by staff to wash down the delicious food and rehydrate from the walk.

Last, but certainly not least, savory Greek desserts — like baklava and halva — will make the walk back a treat. Made from flour, butter, and sugar (or tahini), it’s not exactly healthy, but a perfect way to cap off the lunch. It keeps well at room temperature, so no need to worry about it being outside. A little of these sugary delights goes a long way — a few pieces of dense halva will satisfy even the most serious sweet-tooth on staff, while baklava’s light phyllo pastry base, nuts, and honey are another nice choice to have on hand.

Between the outdoor nature, the fresh and hearty Greek food, and the gentle physical activity, walking business lunches will leave your staff raring to go. Since walking lunches require more energy than office-bound ones, we want to make the experience as easy and enjoyable for employees as possible. This includes providing delicious, quality food that’s on time — let Waiter.com help bring the perfect order of food to your next walking lunch.

Have you ever tried a walking lunch with your office? How did it go? Let us know in the comments!

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!

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