In summary

When designing a workshop, one of the parts that people often forget to design is the meal. Which usually leads to:

1. delays

2. unproductive afternoons

3. grumpy participants with food intolerances

My fix:

1. No sugar and not processed snacks, like fruits

2. Focusing on cold meals

3. Salad bar

The problem

When we design a workshop, we don't just design the workshop's activities; we also have to make decisions about simple things like the venue, the seating, and the meal.

And weirdly enough, you might kill your workshop for a few hours if you don't choose the right meal.

I've made that mistake myself too.

After a difficult morning of workshop, I thought: Hey, let's treat the participants with some very lovely and fun food, like a great pizza or a burger.

Indeed participants loved that kind of stuff. But the problem was that after the workshop, participants were just broken.

Their stomach had to work so much that their brain couldn't work!

So here are a few ideas and tips on selecting the right meal and snacks for the most creativity in your workshop.

Fruit snacks

I'm a Swiss guy, so for me, snacks mean chocolate. But these are not always the best ones. Why? Because many people are intolerant of these kinds of snacks.

Just go for very healthy snacks, like fruit.

Cold meals

When it comes to meals, I prefer to go for cold meals. Why?

Because when the meal is cold, I can decide when is the right time for us to have a break and then bring the meal in.

Such stuff as salads and sandwiches are just perfect.

Salads

When you don't know the allergies and intolerance of your participants, one of the great choices for a meal is basically salads.

I like to go out and buy a few different salads with a few different sauces. And then people can pick and choose the one that fits their style and intolerances better.

And it's light enough so that people don't spend two hours after lunch being broken.