Healthy Organic Catering
June 16, 2015 - Dishes
Perhaps in other parts of the globe accessing quality organic catering can be difficult or cost prohibitive, but not in San Francisco! Not only is this city a bastion of healthy food and healthy lifestyles, but ordering health conscience food is becoming more and more affordable for people in all walks of life.
When looking for the right healthy caterer for your event, here are a couple of considerations to take into account:
Sustainability. We are in a severe drought. Let me repeat that: we are in a severe drought. The systemic lack of water across the state of California raises the stakes for all conscientious citizens to ask questions about how their food is produced and served. Not only is water a key aspect to consider, but where and how the food is produced fundamentally matters for your personal health and ethical principles. You have likely seen the documentary Food Inc., loosely based off the brilliant book Omnivore’s Dilemna. If not, watch or read it immediately. Both the book and the documentary capture the painfully monopolized and insular system of food production in the United States. Bottom line: ask questions about where your food is grown and processed. If these issues interest (they should!) or affect (they do!) you, ask about sustainability catering.
Gluten-Free. You may not be affected by this limiting factor, but let me assure you that someone attending your event will be. Whether the more common gluten or peanut allergies, or the less common coffee allergy, it is important to be proactive in planning your menu. Take into account the various culinary restrictions of your party and be creative in tailoring the menu. These are important things to consider, especially now that gluten free catering, allergy free catering, and other special needs catering has finally become a prominent part of catering companies.
Not so long ago those who were forced to remain on a gluten-free diet faced countless limitations whenever they needed to go out on the town for lunch or dinner. While, at home, you could personally choose hand picked ingredients at your local healthy food store or other grocery store, you could always count on encountering numerous hindrances when looking for gluten-free cuisine elsewhere, like at a restaurant or café. It wasn’t uncommon for a gluten-free seeker to have to narrow things down to Thai, Indian, or foods from certain other cultures that were already gluten free. Perhaps worse, you would have to inundate your waiter or waitress with specific instructions, usually ones that confused them. It was simply a nuisance to eat out as a seeker of quality gluten-free meals.
The environment for gluten-free eaters has dramatically improved, however, in recent years, and there is no sign of this positive trend stopping. People everywhere now seem to be obsessed with health conscience food. And, as the general population’s understanding of celiac disease has significantly improved, increasing numbers of food companies and restaurants have begun offering, or in some cases completely switching over to, gluten-free food. And, best of all, gluten free catering is finally becoming an option too.
Taste and Quality. If you are like me, “organic cooking” at one point in time had the connotation of rabbit food – lots of raw veggies and no warm flavor or satisfaction. Perhaps it was lumped in with vegan dieting or no-sugar recipes, but that time has long past. Today organic food is what you make of it–and there is a new high standard for tasty organic food in San Francisco. In order to ensure that your health, ethics, and taste buds are all simultaneously satisfied it is important to ask questions about the type of food you are ordering.
Cost. We all know that San Francisco lives up to its overpriced reputation. From food to rent to utilities, the cost of living in San Francisco is an unfortunate side effect of the city’s proximity to the wealth of Silicon Valley. However, when looking for quality organic catering its critical to ask questions about where the cost comes from. For instance, if the high price is merely a function of severe drought, or the rarity of the ingredients, even the high demand of a particular holiday, then the cost becomes understandable. At McDonalds, you pay cheaply and receive garbage.
Health. I predict that healthy organic catering will soon be a common practice at nursing homes and hospitals across the United States. Not only do the elderly and health-compromised need quality organic food, but they need quality organic food that is enticingly delicious. What is the point of serving organic carrots and dip if the baby boomer generation you are serving it to passes over the carrots to find the Lays potato chips? This is the new venue for healthy organic catering.
Throughout the country, not only in San Francisco, these trends have taken root. But the city by the bay, with its unique, trendy culture, is better equipped than most to take advantage of the latest and greatest organic, health conscious food options. From the Castro to the Tenderloin to Fisherman’s Wharf, customers have been seeking out feel good catering to make them feel good about their food, the environment, and themselves. It’s time to get serious and join in the fun and taste of eating right.