Healthy Meetings (or Parties) Made Easy

Food and beverages are often a part of a meeting (or any get-together.) For someone trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle that usually means they'll have to search the table to find the "good for me" foods in a sea of not so great choices. I wanted to share a few tips for hosting a meeting to help support your employees, friends, and all those in attendance in their health goals.

Tips for hosting a healthy meeting...

• Check the restaurant web site ahead of time to see if nutritional information is provided.
• Choose a restaurant that offers a wide variety of menu selections: nutritious foods that are prepared with low-fat cooking methods (grilled, baked, steamed), include a variety of leafy greens, lean meats and a colorful array of textures, look for freshly prepared items that use local ingredients.
• Avoid menu items with high fat, high sodium sauces and provide salad toppings like cheese, nuts and dressings on the side so adding them is optional.
• Encourage appropriate portion sizes by providing luncheon size plates.
• Provide low or no-calorie drink options.
• Provide fresh fruit or low or no-sugar desserts.
• Have a no candy dish rule. You can easily and mindlessly consume several hundred extra calories in candy coated chocolate pellets and gummy creatures.

I recently got a chance to test these tips out by ordering off the Rubio's catering menu. Rubio's is synonymous with San Diego putting down it's roots here back in 1983 with it's first walk-up stand in Mission Bay, San Diego. I love the Rubio's story. Rubio's now operates over 190 restaurants. Find a Rubio's near you.

Rubio's provides so many choices that make it pretty simple to keep your next meeting healthy. Rubio's menu is freshly prepared with low fat cooking methods. They only use boneless, skinless white meat chicken, lean "trimmed" steak, sustainable and socially responsibly seafood sources for their grilled salmon, mahi mahi, tilapia, and shrimp. They don't use lard or MSG. They will happily make changes like leaving a sauce on the side or exchanging protein sources on any of their menu items. They offer a free salsa bar which is a great way to dress a salad in a flavorful but low calorie way.

Check out the spread...

I ordered protein packed Grilled Chicken and Steak, Black Beans, "No-Fried" Pinto Beans and Mmmm Guacamole off Rubio's catering menu. I picked up a bag of salad so everyone could build their own healthy salad creation. Rubio's also has a great Balsamic and Roasted Veggies Salad with Grilled Tilapia another excellent choice.

You'll find lots of salsa choices (from mild to muy caliente) on the free salsa bar. Pictured are my two favorites Roasted Chipotle and Mild Salsa. They made a delicious, low calorie salad dressing.

I jazzed up water bottles with colorful duct tape to make them more festive. There's even lemon and lime wedges on Rubio's salad bar to make your water have a bit more pizazz without adding sugar.

I made a little fruit salad which is a great choice for "dessert" I put a little Mexican spin on it by squeezing a little lime juice on it. Individual plastic cups helps with portion control and makes it portable so you can take it on an after lunch walk.

I'd definitely recommend having Rubio's help you make your next meeting a healthy and delicious one.

This post is in partnership with Rubio's. For the purposes of this post Rubio's provided me with products used. Thanks for the yummy lunch. Want to learn more about Rubio's: LIKE their Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram and tell them The World According to Eggface told you to stop by.

and... Today 5/4/15 till Tuesday 12 AM PT 5/5/15 Head over to my Instagram to enter to win a Rubio's Gift Card. Find details of this 1 Day Pop-up Giveaway over on the photo on Instagram.