Why no healthy options?!!

[Katieb]

Grrr! Just returned from a 2 day training course and really struggled for healthy options to eat. Lunch on day one consisted of salad (minimal), baked potatoes, beans, chilli, cheese, profiteroles or nutty meringue and fresh cream! Day 2 lasagne, garlic bread, overcooked macaroni cheese, profiteroles and cake!

Snacks were all bsicuits. Not a piece of fresh fruit in sight!

All this organised and delivered by a high profile education practitioner!

Makes you wonder, eh? Katiex

 

[Steff]

Yup everyone wonders why kids are so resistant with fruit and veg etc, when adults cant even open there closed minds and for one minute think of people who are either dieting ,diabetic or any other various things like that.Did you say anything Katie? so maybe next time round they will think

 

[Northerner]

I often think that the organisers think they are making people happy by giving them some indulgent food on courses. Some people have a very poor understanding about what is healthy

 

[Katieb]

Yup everyone wonders why kids are so resistant with fruit and veg etc, when adults cant even open there closed minds and for one minute think of people who are either dieting ,diabetic or any other various things like that.Did you say anything Katie? so maybe next time round they will think

No, Steff I didn't because usually they give you an evaluation sheet at the end of courses, so I was building up to write it on that. But, lo and behold they did't give us one and at the end, the trainer (who in all other aspects was excellent by the way!) was surrounded by delgates questioning her about work-related things. I think I'll e mail them though. And, yes, Alan, it does seem to be that they think everyone wants to 'indulge' at times like that! Not me, though, I was really miffed and on the second day bought my own apple and yogurt!🙂

 

[trophywench]

I'm keeping quiet at the moment pending something I'm attending shortly.

Watch this space.

 

[MeanMom]

I often think that the organisers think they are making people happy by giving them some indulgent food on courses. Some people have a very poor understanding about what is healthy

I think that's it Alan I think people find it hard to believe that somebody would actually choose to eat healthily, not because they have to but because they actually prefer it.

It has got a bit easier to eat healthily over the years - few years ago you wouldn't have had any sign of a salad and used to be the only thing you could get without meat (usually red) was egg sandwich or cheese sandwhich White bread of course.

Course 'cos I'm vegetarian I'm expected to be 'weird' but Katie if I'd had to manage on that food for a couple of days I'd of been poorly - my body just isnt used to that much processed food and such little fibre. So I would probably have caused a scene on the ssecond day asking where all the fruit had gone

 

[Caroline]

It sounds s bad as the caterers where I work. Food is fried or carb and sugar laden with little or no fruit or vege in sight and the salad has seen better days.

 

[lucy123]

Katie - I do know what you mean. Not sure if this helps but I have now started carrying 2 pieces of fruit and a high fibre cereal bar with me to these sorts of meetings - just in case there is nothing else.

Even for my own meetings at work, I order healthy options, but they always seem to end up being non - healthy - e.g covered in mayo etc.

I do find my sons always naturally going for healhty options - they never go anywhere without a banana and a bottle of water - lets hope this sinks through to the caterers soon. 🙂

 

[Katieb]

Katie - I do know what you mean. Not sure if this helps but I have now started carrying 2 pieces of fruit and a high fibre cereal bar with me to these sorts of meetings - just in case there is nothing else.

Even for my own meetings at work, I order healthy options, but they always seem to end up being non - healthy - e.g covered in mayo etc.

I do find my sons always naturally going for healhty options - they never go anywhere without a banana and a bottle of water - lets hope this sinks through to the caterers soon. 🙂

Good tip Lucy! Are cereal bars ok though? I understood that they masqueraded as healthy options, but were in fact loaded with sugar, carbs and no goodness? Katiex

 

[lucy123]

Hi Katie,
I was told by my consultant to have them to help ward off my hypos when going to the gym. I think the Tesco fibre bars are about 90 cals. I guess the sugar content may be a little higher than you wish (tbh I haven't looked) but I guess they will still be better than a lot of the options offered at the meeting? I find a bar together with 2 pieces of fruit between breakfast and tea - can be enough to get me through - althoug I wouldn't recommend every day.🙂

 

[Ellie Jones]

Grrr! Just returned from a 2 day training course and really struggled for healthy options to eat. Lunch on day one consisted of salad (minimal), baked potatoes, beans, chilli, cheese, profiteroles or nutty meringue and fresh cream! Day 2 lasagne, garlic bread, overcooked macaroni cheese, profiteroles and cake!

Snacks were all bsicuits. Not a piece of fresh fruit in sight!

All this organised and delivered by a high profile education practitioner!

Makes you wonder, eh? Katiex

Basically it costs more and creates more waste😱

Fresh fruit makes for a costly offering indeed, as you've got to work on a min of providing at least Apples, pears and Banana's but in quantities that do provide a reasonable choice for all, which means overload status... Problem it's all perishable so has a very short shelf life... So creates high wastage as you might be able to offer them for 2 days in a row, but then you've got to throw away..

So the caterers if they want to make a profit will have to factor this into costs... Putting up the 'per head' cost above one that the Training Provider is willing to pay...

Other problems arise with if food is being transported from where it's being cooked to another location all creates hazard points... Fresh fruits is very easily damaged when transported so again can make any unused items not fit for offering the following day..

My experience of training courses is that if the training provider is preparing food on the premises then you get a far healthier choice than when the employ an outside caterer...

Best food I've had provided while on a training course was when I went to one that the training provider used the facilities of a local posh golf course...