Here are a few ideas for incorporating gut-friendly food into your wedding menu. As a wedding photographer in Houston and specifically a wedding photographer in Cypress, Texas, I have seen a variety of foods at wedding receptions. From menus that are standard chicken dishes or some form of beef, to ethnic dishes based on the culture of the bride and groom. From buffet lines to sit down dinner with a wait staff, hopefully, this information will help you decide on what to you at your wedding.
Healthy food can still be tasty
The wedding date is fast approaching, and you’re trying to nail down all of the details to make sure that your big day goes down in the record books as the best wedding ever. You know that having good food is critical to the overall experience, but how do you plan a unique, delicious menu that doesn’t make everyone feel groggy as soon as they eat it and it doesn’t give your guests the energy they will need to cut a rug to the tunes of your meticulously chosen DJ.
Try something besides the traditional wedding reception menu
If you want what’s best for you and your guests, consider ditching the “wedding food” and opting for incorporating gut-friendly food into your menu. It’s surprisingly simple to implement plus, you’ll significantly diversify your guests’ options, empower them to make healthy decisions for themselves, and even educate them that healthy food can be celebration food.
I’m sure you’ve heard of sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha. These are all probiotic, meaning they work with the gut microbiome to bring about balance within the body and increase nutrient retention and energy levels. When the gut is happy, the heart and mind are happy. Providing good nourishment is a highly-effective way to ensure your guests are in a positive and healthy state.
Probiotic food choices for your wedding
To get started, here are a few probiotic foods that will help incorporating gut-friendly food into your wedding menu.
1.Yogurt is one of the most popular and widely consumed probiotic-rich foods. Yogurt can be served with fruit during the cocktail hour with hor d’oeuvres. You can also use it as a dressing or sauce in a side dish.
2. Dark Chocolate as part of the popular candy station set up. A dark chocolate bar as a wedding favor for the guest is good also. Dark chocolate has very important anti-inflammatory antioxidants, and it also provides gut-healthy probiotics
3. Another good and simple probiotic food option is pickles. Not the ones on the shelf as they are made with vinegar and sometime other acidic ingredients. Instead, the ones that are in the refrigerated section. They could be added to salad or as part of a burger station.
Many weddings opt for dessert indulgences. While there is a place for this, they aren’t necessarily the best choices. Sure they’re crowd-pleasers, but in 30 minutes, your guests will want to nap instead of shake-a-tailfeather on the dance floor. Instead, as mentioned earlier, Greek yogurt serves as a probiotic dessert option to serve alongside your cake. You could create parfaits with cacao and honey drizzle. It would also be delicious used as an aerated topping for molten lava cake or pie instead of whipped cream.
Healthy and fun food choices
Are you looking for a way to blend healthy and fun? Consider using kimchi and sauerkraut as hot dog toppings. A hotdog bar could be a whimsical and nostalgic late-night snack station. You could use a blend of all beef organic uncured grass-fed hot dogs and their meatless counterparts. Ditch the typical buns for sourdough buns, which are also probiotic. To add some fizz to the festivities, you can serve kombucha. Kombucha is a fizzy fermented black or green tea made with a SCOBY, a “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. You can serve it alongside alcohol.
Take care of your guests’ bodies and minds to keep their spirits up and the party rockin’. Talk to your caterer if you have already chosen one or as you are searching for a wedding caterer, ask what their gut-friendly food options are. When you are ready to book your photographer, as always it will be my pleasure to serve you so contact me and let’s make your memories, memorable!