Good Food for Thought--Literally

Green Lodging News yesterday posted an article about the National Conference Center (NCC) in Leesburg, Va., and its commitment to working with local farmers. It is an impressive program that involves not only purchasing from local farmers but also sending one farm used cooking oil which is then used to power its tractors and run its greenhouses. NCC's farm to table program is just one of its many green initiatives. Given NCC’s expertise on on local food, as well as conference training, meetings and special events, NCC recently released a white paper on how food impacts meeting performance. The paper, entitled, "The Science of Food for Thought: Enhancing Meetings Through Food," emphasizes the importance of eating “brain food” versus junk food and how various foods measure up.

I read the paper and strongly encourage you to do the same. It available for free on the NCC website. Did you know, for example, that what food you serve meeting attendees and when you serve it has a lot to do with how well they will be able to "swallow" the information that is presented to them at their meetings? According to NCC executive chef Craig Mason, it is best not to serve items that take long to digest--red meat for example. Local foods are better, as they are more nutritious. Cooking time and how a product is cared for also impacts nutrition. Snack stations should not be packed with "sugar rush" items but fresh fruits, nuts, yogurt and energy bars. The white paper includes a list of the top "Brain Meeting Snacks." Be sure to check it out.

As NCC is proving, a green meeting is about much more than reducing waste and saving energy; it also has a lot to do with what edible fuel you provide.