While the pandemic is now behind us, its impact on corporate events lingers on. Companies and event planners working on their behalf are continuing to work to make guests feel safe and welcome—and to accommodate the public’s growing interest in staying healthy

If you will be attending or planning a corporate event this year, here are some of the catering trends you can anticipate.

Serving and Sizes

When it comes to food, caterers are responding to increased requests for individually sized portions. What does this look like? It can range from miniature food items (sliders and desserts in shot glasses) to individual cheese and charcuterie boards.

That’s not to say customers are turning their backs on buffets and food stations.

“I believe that the buffet will continue to exist, and it’s going to evolve in the way that it’s serviced,” Lenny Talarico, chief experience officer at Lental Productions, told video teleconferencing software provider, hopin.

Buffet and food stations are accommodating corporate customers by organizing serving tables to minimize crowding and long lines, individually wrapping snacks and desserts, and offering pre-plated entrees upon request.

Healthier Choices

Customers, now eager to go a step beyond healthy foods, have been requesting immunity-boosting selections for their corporate events.

These requests include probiotic foods that support good bacteria in the gut and bolster our immune systems. Examples of probiotics include Greek yogurt, which caterers can offer in parfaits, dips, and dressings; artichoke, perfect for meat and vegetable dishes, even bruschetta; and cabbage, which can be part of salads and vegetable dishes.

We’re also seeing growing interest in “prebiotics,” foods that set the stage for a beneficial probiotic environment by feeding the friendly bacteria in our gut. Many prebiotics are good fits for catered dishes, either on their own or as ingredients, including asparagus, blueberries, cranberries, cashews, edamame, garlic, onions, leeks, bananas, oats, and apples.

 Also high in demand for their immunity-boosting qualities are:

-Dishes made with açaí berries, which are considered a superfood for their immunity-boosting properties (and other benefits). At corporate events, caterers are serving açaí bowls, açaí smoothies, even açaí ice cream.

-Citrus fruits, which are loaded with immunity-boosting Vitamin C. Think fresh fruit juices, fruit and green-leaf salads with citrus, and elegant vegetable dishes complemented with citrus.

(Other ingredients high in Vitamin C include red bell peppers, think salads, chili, and hash browns, and spinach, perfect for salads, spinach quesadillas, and Chicken Roulade Florentine.)

-Garlic, which contains allicin and is known for strengthening immune systems. Caterers are adding roasted garlic to salads, vegetable dishes, and meat entrees.

-Elderberry, which is loaded with antioxidants and vitamins that help boost immunity. Caterers are delivering it in smoothies and elderberry-infused waters.

Flexitarian and Vegetarian

While offering plant-based options is hardly a new catering trend, it’s going strong.

This includes an interest in “flexitarian” diets, which include vegan (no animal products) choices along with meats and other animal products in moderation. To keep flexitarians happy, caterers are offering high-quality meats, so flexitarians feel their splurge is truly worth it, and creating delicious, outside-of-the-box plant-based selections.

“The rise in demand (for planted based food) is most noticeable on the corporate level,”  Fia Pagnello, founder and CEO of Kiss the Cook Catering, told CFE (Catering, Foodservice & Events). “Offices are increasingly focused on sustainability, and this is now starting to impact their purchasing when it comes to food.”

Caterers also are offering plant-based versions of non-vegetarian menu items like lasagna, and their vegan and vegetarian selections include international cuisine and dishes made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

Mushrooms: The New Kale

Mushrooms are a huge trend in corporate catering this year, possibly because of their taste, versatility, and nutritional value.

Most of the mushrooms being incorporated into caterers’ menus are white button mushrooms. Other popular choices are flavorful cremini mushrooms (young Portobello mushrooms), which make an excellent meat substitute, and shitake mushrooms, known for their light, woodsy flavor.

For a catering menu, think vegetable skewers with mushrooms, sautéed mushrooms with fresh herbs, wild mushroom soup, mushroom quesadillas, fillet mignon with mushroom sauce, braised lamb shank with mushrooms…and a multitude of other options.

Guests Want Creative Mocktails

Mocktails, non-alcoholic drinks that mimic their alcoholic counterparts, are always a great choice for corporate events. Attendees enjoy them, and the drinks don’t interfere with their ability to remain professional or focus on the information being shared.

With interest so high in healthy choices, high-quality mocktails are in especially high demand these days, and caterers are happy to accommodate.

“We’re better than Shirley Temples,” Jesse Hawkins, founder of Louisville-based The Mocktail Project, told PCMA (founded as the Professional Convention Management Association).

Guests at corporate events are enjoying unique takes on alcohol-free margaritas, mint juleps, and mojitos along with caterers’ and bartenders’ signature creations.

More Creativity on the Horizon

It has been encouraging to see companies return to live events, and their ability to make that transition, at least in part, is due to accommodating and innovative catering services.

We’re confident that the catering industry will continue to evolve to satisfy corporate clients and the people who attend their events.

About the Author: Roger Igo is the founder and CEO of wedding and special events venue, The Bell Tower on 34th. He is the author of “Keep On Going, The History of The Bell Tower on 34th,” a former radio host, a graduate of CEO Space International, and an alumnus of The Disney Institute.