Foods To Avoid When Planning A Prom Dinner
Proms are often the biggest night in the life of your high school students. However, using the wrong food in the banquet can ruin the whole event by staining their dress clothes, causing severe bloating, or giving them a severe case of bad breath. Follow these catering tips when planning your prom dinner to ensure prom is memorable for all the right reasons.
Bloating Foods
Many delicious foods cause serious bloating that can make an already awkward tuxedo or dress feel even more uncomfortable. Keep the following bloating foods out of your prom dinner to keep your students comfortable in their skin:
- Beans
- Lentils
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Artificial Sweeteners
- Milk
- Cheese
- Whole Grain or High Fiber Foods
- Soda
Many of these foods are more difficult to digest and cause bloating by creating excessive gas. This excessive gas can cause another problem you want to avoid at prom: flatulence. While some students might think its funny to pass the night by passing gas, many more will highly disagree.
Smelly Foods
Bad breath or halitosis is an absolute mood killer at prom. Foods that cause severe halitosis include:
- Garlic
- Onions
- Peppers
- Coffee
- Dairy Products
- Red Meat
- Orange Juice
- Soda
- Heavily Spiced Foods
If you can't avoid these foods, hand out toothbrushes and toothpaste to each student. This should help them control their bad breath after their meal by eliminating any lingering food from their mouth.
Staining Foods
Nothing will ruin a student's night quite like dropping food on their rented tux or new dress. While some stains should be simple to remove, others will be more difficult. As a result, they may end up paying damage fees to their rental center.
Foods that can cause severe stains include:
- Coffee
- Tea
- Dark Soda
- Peanut Butter
- Mustard
- Berry Juice
- Tomato Juice
- Greasy Meat
While just about any food will leave a small mark on clothes, the above foods will create the most difficult to remove. And, if possible, try to ban gum. This may annoy some students, but they'll understand if they've ever gotten gum stuck to their clothes or in their hair.
Foods That You Should Use
Reading through this list may be depressing: after all, it seems to exclude so many tasty foods. However, there are still plenty of great foods that you can serve. Simple foods that won't ruin a prom include:
- Turkey Wraps
- Steamed Vegetables
- Homemade Soups
- Mashed Potatoes with Butter
- Baked and Seasoned Chicken
If you need help creating a meal that avoids problematic foods, talk to a caterer as soon as possible. Though it may be impossible to avoid all of the foods mentioned here, a caterer can help create a meal that will satisfy your prom goers without ruining their night. Contact a company like Soups Sandwiches & More to get started.
