25 Healthy Summer Brunch Ideas
There is nothing more beautiful than the opportunity to spend time outdoors, sampling delicious foods and drinks and spending ample time with the people with whom we are closest. In the spirit of all of these things, and keeping with the concept of sharing food and drink, why not host an outdoor summer brunch to bring all of these fabulous items? Better yet, why not serve your guests all items from the “healthy” category, thus ensuring that your outdoor brunch is not only delicious but good for them, too?Here we have laid out our best and most helpful tips for hosting a healthy eating-themed outdoor summer brunch, sure to have your guests feeling satisfied and all of your hearts’ content. You can also find even more great ideas on our Outdoor Summer Brunch Ideas Pinterest board.
10 Tips on Creating a Healthy Brunch Menu
Healthy is a current trend, but one that is likely here to stay. Help your guests gets get acquainted with healthy eating and the best and freshest foods of summer with recipes that embody the most nutritious of focuses. You want your guests to consume only items that have not been pre-packaged with preservatives or overly-saturated with unhealthy ingredients, and achieving that is easier than you think.
Simple tips for turning any menu into a completely healthy one:- Write out a list of all of your guests and any dietary restrictions those individuals might have. Count up the members of your guest list so that you know how much food you will need to prepare.
- Make a list of you favorite summer brunch menu items, items you would love to serve your guests (and enjoy having for yourself).
- Highlight any items on your menu that are made with excessive amounts of sugar, come from pre-packaged goods or that contain preservatives—anything that isn’t fresh. If it isn’t a fresh fruit, fresh vegetable, freshly prepared sauce or dressing, or a freshly-made baked item crafted from top-quality ingredients, it doesn’t make the cut.
- Research and find non-preservative-filled or fresh replacements for any un-fresh menu items or ingredients, making swaps such as applesauce for cooking oil in baking.
- Rewrite your menu using only the freshest, healthiest options for each menu item.
- Source those healthy items and ingredients from your local grocery or food market—choosing organic produce and items made from organic produce would be preferable wherever possible.
- Have your guests bring an item to pass—making your healthy outdoor summer brunch event a potluck—and be sure that your guests understand the theme. They should only bring items that fit the healthy eating concept to keep the fun going.
- Send out invitation emails or cards explaining the theme and how to stick with it. Make it easy for your guests. Explain that everyone should bring an item made from fresh fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains, spices and natural elements. You will all be amazed at the delicious flavor combinations you can create using only the freshest ingredients.
- Afraid your guests might all opt for “healthy” versions of sweets? Break your guest list up into groups and assign each group a type of dish—breakfast items, salads, fruit-based, vegetable-based, grilled items, baked goods, health-conscious sweets, etc.—so that there are fewer duplicates.
- Make sure you have something for everyone, accommodating all dietary plans—gluten-free, dairy-free, non GMO, vegetarian, vegan, etc. If you have a guest that needs gluten-free or dairy-free options, having items that are all fresh (no baked elements, including veggies or fruits and tossed in herbs or other spices) will make it so that he or she can indulge in the healthy fun, too.
10 Decorating Tips for an Outdoor Summer Brunch
If you are going to serve your guests nothing but the best in terms of food quality, it seems only right that you should also decorate with the best, too. These tips will help you make your event one to remember.
- Choose organic or eco-friendly linen tablecloths in the best and brightest hues of summer.
- Utilize reusable plates and cutlery, eco-friendly drinking glasses and washable linen napkins to keep with the earth-friendly, healthy concept.
- Decorate with plenty of fresh, bright, colorful flowers to adorn your tables.
- Set those flowers in mason jars and other reusable, repurpose-able containers, and allow guests to take those arrangements home with them to double as party favors.
- Light eco-friendly candles around your outdoor event space, adding a little extra magic to your outdoor brunch event décor.
- Embellishing your outdoor summer brunch location with plenty of fresh, earth-friendly items will truly bring your healthy brunch theme to life.
- Use naturals like potted plants, a floral garden or other green decorative items already found on your patio or in your garden to accent your event décor.
- Provide plenty of places for recycling and trash disposal (clearly labeled, of course) to make disposing of used items easier—this will help keep your space clean and beautiful throughout the healthy outdoor summer brunch party.
- Place bowls of fresh fruits and vegetables around the event space for added pops of natural color.
- Set healthy eating dishes in the middles of each eating table so that the potluck-style dishes double as decorations.
5 Entertainment Ideas for a Summer Brunch
It would not be a party without entertainment, and your entertainment should always match your event theme to help give that theme authenticity. Host games such as these to help keep your guests in the healthy eating mood:
- Best healthy eating flavor combination—give out a prize for what your guests vote is the best combination of healthy item flavors.
- Most creative healthy eating dish—the person who brings the most creative dish made from only the freshest, preservative-free foods wins.
- Best healthy eating twist to a traditional brunch favorite—award the individual who brings the best “favorite-brunch-item-turned-healthy,” because nothing makes a delicious dish taste better than making it as good for you as it is flavorsome.
- Most beautiful healthy eating dish presentation—the guest who brings the most elegantly plated dish wins something fun.
- Most exciting healthy eating recipe card—have each guest bring recipe cards with their healthy recipe written out, allowing each guest to take his or her stack of recipes home as a party favor (and an easy reminder to eat healthy!). The individual who brings the most exciting recipe card design should get a reward.