A little time to relax and enjoy the company of others is one of the greatest gifts that you can give your employees. Whether it’s a simple cup of coffee in the break room or a formal breakfast in the conference room, your staff will be grateful for your effort to provide them with a little downtime.

Many companies, big or small, overlook the benefits of providing a simple, yet healthy breakfast in the office. If you’re looking for a new way to improve your staff’s morale, consider hosting an office breakfast. This blog will provide you with some great breakfast catering ideas for the office.

Different breakfast options like fruits, bread, pastry, almonds, tea, granola bars, muesli

The Benefits of Healthy Corporate Breakfast Catering

The advantages to having breakfast catering for your office are plentiful. Among many others, it:

1. Keeps Up Office Morale

An office breakfast will help to keep up your staff’s morale. Many employees find that they are more productive when they are well-fed. It’s not rare for people to have to rush to the office and miss out on meal prep.

Having an office catering at the ready for breakfast eliminates all the fuss needed for them to prepare their own meal at the start of the day. Ensuring that your team has their fill of nutrients is key to a happy workplace. Plus, they’ll be sure to stay energised for the entire workday.

2. Improves Productivity

Food is an essential part of human performance. When your employees are eating healthy and feeling energised, they will be more productive at work. If your employees are not properly nourished with the right macro and micronutrients, they’ll feel sluggish and unfocused throughout the day.

Offering breakfast in the office can help alleviate some of these stressors. Many employees will appreciate the chance to have a full stomach before beginning their day. Not to mention the break in work can be used for productive conversations. It may even lead to new ideas for the company!

3. Encourages Team Bonding

Team bonding is another major benefit of offering breakfast catering in your office. Team members will feel closer to one another when they’re all eating together. It’s also a great way to get employees to socialise and get to know one another better. Offering breakfast in the office can help build camaraderie between your staff.

What to Put on Your Breakfast Catering Menu

As we can see, a delicious and healthy breakfast in the office can help your staff feel refreshed and ready to work on another productive day. But it’s not as easy as getting a pot of coffee ready. Food trends change all the time, and you need to accommodate all of your staff’s preferences. This is likely why some offices turn to corporate catering services.

Regardless, it’s important to know the basics of what to include as catering options. Here are some top ideas on what to include in your breakfast catering menu:

1. Fresh Fruit Platters

One of the most important breakfast options to include is fruits. Fresh fruits are a good source of vitamin C, iron, potassium, and more, all of which are essential for the body to function properly.

You can have a seasonal fruit platter alongside a smoothie bar, for example. This will let your employees create their own fruit breakfast bowls, while also providing a refreshing beverage option for the entire office. Though fruits may seem simple, it’s a core part of a healthy breakfast menu.

A plate full of slices of different fruits

You may be worried about how to consistently provide fresh, ethically sourced fruits for your company. It’s all a matter of where you look. Many healthy catering services, such as The Fruit People, can help you with a supply of high-quality, ethically sourced fruit. Some of them may even offer weekly fruit and veggie boxes that you can subscribe to. That way, you can be sure that your employees are getting fresh, high-quality produce each week.

2. Coffee and Tea Bar

Lots of employees need a good caffeine buzz to start the day. That’s why you may want to consider a coffee and tea bar. It’s important to have a selection of different kinds of coffee and tea, as well as a coffee machine. If you want to go all-in, provide options to make cold brew, nitro brew, and many more.

Two women talking while having tea or coffee

You can also set up a hot water station and perhaps even a coffee grinder. This will help get the morning started off right for everyone. You can even add in some chai and decaf options for employees who are a little sensitive to caffeine. Finally, have some healthy sweeteners and dairy options on the side.

3. Build-it-Yourself Sandwich Bar

Healthy breakfast sandwiches are a great option for your office breakfast catering. You can have an offering of sandwich platters or let your staff build it themselves. Having plenty of options will be a great way to satisfy everyone’s cravings for something savoury.

Boxes full of different sandwiches like bagels

Also, consider having veggie patties as an alternative to regular meat cuts. Put aside some healthy hummus instead of just regular ranch and mayo. This will help provide a healthier option for your employees and allow them to get creative with their sandwich options. It’s also a great way of being mindful and inclusive of those who may abstain from certain foods.

4. Refreshing Juices and Beverages

Any breakfast office catering needs its beverages. Not every employee will want to sit down and eat a full breakfast. Many will likely be on the go and want something easy to carry. If you want to be inclusive of those who need to work while they eat, provide juice and other drinks instead.

Refreshing Healthy Juices

Your options will depend on the climate in your office. For example, if you have a healthy catering service that offers fresh juices and fruit smoothies, you can use their menu to plan out your juice bar. You can make the fruit options seasonal to keep things exciting. You can also offer other non-alcoholic fizzy drinks for those looking for something stronger.

5. Yoghourt Bowl Bar

Another one of our healthy office breakfast ideas is a yoghurt bowl bar. For those looking for a healthier alternative, make sure that you offer plain, unsweetened, and Greek yoghurt options.

Bowls of yoghurt with peach and muesli toppings and walnut pieces scattered on the side

Many people can benefit from eating more dairy. However, some people find that they get stomach issues when they eat too much cheese or other dairy products. By offering a selection of plain yoghurts and low-fat yoghurts, you can provide some variety for your employees who may be sensitive to certain ingredients in the morning. Include some healthy toppings like chia seeds and almond butter to give them something extra.

6. Healthy Breakfast Cereals

Many of your employees will prefer to have a healthy breakfast cereal. They’re an easy way to provide a quick, healthy breakfast that doesn’t take too much time.

A bowl of healthy breakfast cereals

You can offer a selection of different kinds of cereals, such as gluten-free options and those with more natural ingredients. It’s also helpful to have a few boxes of various kinds for your employees to pick from. For example, some cereals are high in fibre and will keep your employees feeling full longer than their usual breakfast options. You can go the extra mile and have some granola bars ready as a pocket-size option. Don’t forget to have all the milk options you need!

7. Sweet Pastries

Many employees love to indulge in a sweet pastry for breakfast. You can go above and beyond the regular bread and peanut butter combo to spice things up at the office. Whether it’s a croissant or doughnut, a breakfast buffet isn’t complete without a pastry bar. Make sure to include some thin, lightweight pastries such as pain au chocolats, French toasts, and Danishes. Some catering services may have pastry box options at the ready.

Plates with croissants on a table along with a cup of coffee and a plant pot

You can also include some healthy desserts such as protein bars or granola. This will help provide a healthy sweet treat option for your employees. If your team has any allergies, make sure to label these treats accordingly so that you don’t run into any issues.

What to Keep in Mind

Although office breakfast catering is a great way to make your employees happy, it’s important to take care of the little details. Here are some tips for what to keep in mind when planning your office breakfast catering:

1. Keep it Healthy

It’s all well and good to have a healthy breakfast catering, but it’s not healthy if it’s packed with empty calories. It’s important to ensure that your employees are getting the nutrients they need to keep their bodies functioning optimally. This means offering a variety of healthy breakfast options.

Meals that are chock full of nourishment are important to your employees’ health. For example, whole grains are an excellent source of fibre. It can help to keep your body feeling full throughout the day. Meanwhile, fresh fruits are a great source of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function properly.

There’s always a risk that your employees will turn to unhealthy snacking in the middle of the day. Having an assortment of healthy options will make it easier for them to resist.

2. Consider Dietary Restrictions and Preferences

It’s important to remember that many of your employees will have dietary restrictions. For example, gluten-free diets are very common today. Others may abstain from certain foods for religious purposes. So, make sure you include options for everyone!

A range of breakfast food options by the Fruit People

You can always order a gluten-free option or prepare some vegetarian meals in advance for the week. If you want to be more inclusive, consider hiring a caterer who is experienced with different dietary preferences and healthier food alternatives. This will help you avoid any mistakes that you may make when it comes to serving food. It can also simply help to give your employees more options.

3. The Context (Formal or Informal?)

There are a lot of options when it comes to office breakfast catering. Above all, you need to take note of the context. Are you trying to provide breakfast catering for a formal meeting? If so, you may want to steer clear of messy foods. Flaky pastries, for example, can easily fall apart the moment you take a bite. Doing this in front of a group of professionals can make you feel flustered. Therefore, you may want to include simpler foods, like fruit platters and juices.

If the office mood is casual and your team is preparing for a long work day, look for savoury foods. A hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs will hold up well in the morning, even if it isn’t the most elegant breakfast. You may want to consider some finger foods or sides like a fresh fruit salad or a healthy smoothie. Of course, if you’re unsure of how formal your meeting is going to be, you can always ask your employees what they’d prefer.

How The Fruit People Can Help

Now that you know the top breakfast catering ideas, you’re good to go! You can start with the simplest ideas, like fruit platters and coffee and tea bars. But how do you make sure that you’re making the right decisions when it comes to office breakfast catering?

Corporate catering suppliers are the best place to start. Look for one that has some experience catering to offices of all sizes. They will be able to help you figure out what works best for your office and staff.

A range of office food options by the Fruit People

Our team at The Fruit People offer corporate and office events catering  to businesses of all sizes.

We can help you create and tailor your office breakfast menu so that your employees have the best possible start to their day!

Get in touch with our team to discuss how we can help!