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If the only thing that gets you through that 3 pm meeting is the plate of cookies and brownies, you might not want to read this post! Companies are finding ways to serve healthier foods during meetings.

One place helping companies know what to serve: King County, Oregon. They published “healthy meetings guidelines, developed by Public Health – Seattle & King County for its employees,” which they say are “model worksite policies. Organizations and businesses are encouraged to use these nutrition and physical activity guidelines in their own workplaces.”

Some general guidelines include:

• Choose foods that are low in fat, especially saturated and trans fats
• Provide entrees that are low in fat
• Provide whole grain products
• Provide fresh fruits and vegetables, and salads
• Provide vegetarian option
• Offer organic products, when available
• Serve nonfat or 1% milk, 100% fruit or vegetable juice, water or unsweetened iced tea instead of soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages

Some healthier options include:

• Fresh fruit
• Raw vegetables – if providing, choose non-fat, low-fat dips or salsa
• Pretzels, hot pretzels cut in pieces or baked chips (7 grams of fat or less/ounce)
• 100% fruit or vegetable juice, avoid soft drinks
• Low fat cheese, string cheese
• Granola bars – low fat (5 grams of fat or less/bar)
• “Lite” popcorn (lightly salted)
• Whole grain crackers
• Dried fruit or trail mix
• Roasted nuts

All of which means, you might have to bring your own cookies…