Healthy foods can be offered at catered events in many ways; for example, providing more fresh fruits and vegetables, smaller portions, low fat, and reduced sodium or reduced sugar food options.  

• Improved dietary choices

• Improved nutrition

• Increased access to fruits & vegetables

• Increased fruit & vegetable consumption

Offering healthy foods at meetings, conferences, and catered events is a suggested strategy to improve dietary choices and nutrition (WIPAN-Worksites, Larson 2009). Ensuring access to fresh fruits and vegetables at workplace meetings and events is also a suggested strategy to increase fruit and vegetable consumption (CDC-Fruits and vegetables 2011). Available research suggests that increasing healthy options at meetings and catered events influences healthy diets, especially in combination with other interventions supporting a healthy workplace environment (Watts 2016*, Larson 2009, Backman 2004, Glanz 2004*). At conferences and meetings with a food buffet line, presenting healthy food options first and less healthy options at the end of the line can increase the likelihood of selecting healthy food (Wansink 2013a*). Additional evidence, including studies focused solely on offering healthy food at workplace events, is needed to confirm effects. 

Market research shows a promising demand for healthy catered options at workplaces (Geissler 2010). 

Businesses, employers, and government offices around the country are serving more healthy foods at their catered events and meetings. As of 2017, over 80 organizations, institutions, and companies have taken the Healthy Meeting Pledge to adopt healthy meeting practices (CSPI-Healthy meetings). Many universities have also developed guidelines for offering healthy foods at meetings, seminars, and catered events, including the University of Minnesota (UMN-Story 2008), University of South Carolina (SC-Healthy meetings), and University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley-Healthy meetings).