Buffet lines, questionable vegetarian options, overly sweet danish and endless cups of coffee…

You know what I’m talking about folks- the closest things grownups have to school cafeterias and the reason why we often come home from meetings and seminars with worse stomach aches than those brought on by hours of gaping at Power Point presentations alone…Conference Food!

I’ve broken down my many conference food experiences into three major categories.  Let me know about your experiences and check out this amazing journalism conference I’m running on Sunday, May 3rd in NYC (where the food will be, I think, quite delicious)..!

The Good: Some conferences make food a priority and hold the event in a nice venue or hire a caterer.  In these cases, you might have been asked to let the organizers know in advance if you are a vegetarian, a vegan, or even a celiac!  Key to the good conference food experience is an array of freshness: fruit, salad, and bread, complimented by desserts that are well-worth the sugar low which will inevitably occur during the second half of the session following lunch.

The Bad: Some conferences get a decent caterer, but no thought is put into the balance, health, or freshness of the meal.  In this situation, the food tastes good but doesn’t make you feel good, or, alternatively, the food tastes good but since the meal isn’t balanced between its carbs, proteins and veggies, you end up eating way too much.  Another common problem with this scenario is that the desserts are mediocre and yet you feel compelled to eat them anyway in an attempt to make up for your dissatisfaction with the actual meal.

The Ugly: Some conference organizers allow the interns to plan the conference meals, keep the food budget super low, or simply wait to the last minute to make arrangements.  Common occurrences in these situations include being served pizza (cold by the time you get to it), a lack of vegetarian options (ahem, a side of mashed potatoes and a roll does not make a decent meal, ahem), super processed breakfast and dessert options, and a lack of non-sweetened beverage offerings (I’d prefer not to drink Coke, Sprite or Ice Tea, thanks).

There is so much more I could add, but hopefully you’ll share your experiences and keep the conversation going.  Don’t forget to check out the National Jewish Student Journalism Conference on May 3rd.