It’s a Flexitarian World

One Bite at a Time

By Katja Morgenstern, CMP


THE NIGHTMARE UNFOLDED IN FRONT OF ME as every person going through the buffet lines scooped up some of the beautiful vegetarian dishes along with the fish, chicken and beef. My inside voice screamed, “NOOOO! Put it down. You don’t get the vegetarian; you’re supposed to eat the ‘normal’ food.” I was running out and still had 40 minutes left for lunch. As the minutes ticked by and attendees loaded their plates, I realized I had made a serious mistake. This seasoned planner learned a hard lesson.

The conference day began as the previous one had—breakfast rush for 6,000 people, served and completed by 8 a.m. It was looking to be another good conference day.

And the previous night’s opening reception had gone well; it was heavily attended, and the new vegetarian appetizers were a big hit. During this particularly fateful conference, we decided to fully incorporate vegetarian meals into the conference menu. The full lunch buffet would include 70 percent protein (chicken, beef, etc.) and 30 percent chef-inspired vegetarian meals. I was pleased and looking forward to being able to accommodate the 2 percent of attendees who listed themselves as vegetarians.

As lunchtime approached, I began to walk the meal hall, knowing that I would make attendees happy by giving them something healthy to eat. The chef did an amazing job putting together a week of vegetarian dishes such as Portobello mushroom lasagna, kumquat salads, citrus salads and lentil soups. All the vegetarian dishes were beautiful compliments to the grilled chicken, beef and fish dishes on the rest of the buffet.

I was feeling good about the lunches, but I had made a mistake. I underestimated the pull of healthy eating. I underestimated the number of “flexitarians” in attendance. Lesson learned: When planning a buffet, it is generally best to do a 50/50 split—50 percent vegetarian main dish and 50 percent meat dish.

These days we must find ways to incorporate vegetarian meals, as the taste profiles of attendees change over time. At my event, even though only 2 percent of the attendees (less than 150 people) said they were vegetarian, many more selected the meatless option when it was available.

I have worked with the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas for several years. One of my favorite basic lunch buffets from Mandalay is the Build Your Own Burger Bar. I like this buffet, because it allows attendees to make their own burgers using chicken, beef, Portobello mushrooms or turkey. The buffet offers something for every delegate, but it’s affordable and is not a custom menu.

Lunches and receptions are often the most difficult areas to incorporate full-flavored vegetarian meals—and it’s even harder if your conference spans several days with multiple meal functions. Long gone are the days when you can serve iceberg salad and marinara pasta to your vegetarian attendees every day.

Here are some of my favorite budget-friendly vegetarian options.

Lunch

1. Mexican Buffet: make your own quesadillas, fajitas or assorted burritos; avocado tacos
2. Soup and Salad Buffet: citrus salads with fresh oranges, grapefruits, arugula and mint; beet and nut salad; kumquat salad with mixed baby greens; creamy butternut squash soup; asparagus soup; wild mushroom soup; spinach potage
3. Pasta Bar: roasted garlic alfredo; roasted vegetables with angel hair pasta; pesto arugula; Greek pasta with tomatoes, feta and white beans; pumpkin ravioli

Reception Appetizers
1. Bruschetta Station: assorted sun-dried tomatoes, olive tapenades; roasted beets and goat cheese; cannellini beans and rosemary
2. Deviled eggs with truffles
3. Assorted Pâtés: mushroom; red lentil and red pepper; green bean; strawberry and rhubarb
4. Assorted Strudels: mushroom stuffed with onion marmalade; goat cheese and fig
5. Fondue Station with assorted cheeses, breads and fruits

The above selections are just a few of my favorites. Most of these options work well for mixed groups, particularly non-vegetarian attendees. My new rule of thumb: incorporate a higher percentage of vegetarian options into lunch and reception menus. Non-vegetarian attendees are likely to eat the vegetarian options, but vegetarian attendees are limited by their diets to eat only meatless options.

And if you can’t remember my rule of thumb, remember your mom’s: Eat your vegetables. One+

KATJA MORGENSTERN, CMP, is a senior project manager for Meeting Consultants Inc. She is an active MPI member, industry speaker and industry veteran. She can be reached at kmorgenstern@meetingconsultants.com.