Since retreats and conferences are often special times away from the office, meeting planners choose special treats as the snacks and meals. Unfortunately, these choices sabotage these expensive events.   After a number of experiences with the afternoon drop in activity level, I began working with clients on making positive food choices.

One area that can greatly increase the productivity of the meeting is the food selection. Snacks filled with fat and carbohydrates cause an insulin spike and subsequent crash for participants. While participants may be excited receiving hot cookies during the afternoon break, no matter the topic or speaker, they will be nodding off 45 minutes later.  Here’s an example of a snack/meals makeover I have used with clients for my 1 Day Retreat and other speaking engagements:

Occasion	Sabotaging Choices	Productive Choices
Breakfast	Donuts	Bagels with cream cheese & peanut butter
Morning Break	Danishes	Granola bars, peanut butter crackers, bananas, apples
Lunch	Chicken with gravy, rice, peas, roll, salad, and cake	Baked chicken, salad, green beans, fruit cup
Afternoon Break	Cookies, ice cream bars	Baked chips, packs of nuts, bananas, apples

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