Green Event Inspiration: Sustainable Food Presentation Ideas

Here’s a familiar scenario for event professionals today: You’re in a barn.

Or a garden. Or a park. The exact venue doesn’t matter—what matters is that you’ve been tasked with putting on a dazzling event in a setting where you have very little infrastructure at your disposal.

You’re renting restroom trailers. Ordering tents. And you’re planning how to serve dinner for 250 (or more) without any kitchens or running water.

In these settings, it can be tough to use real china and glassware. (It’s not impossible, but it definitely takes a lot of planning and legwork.) Disposable serviceware offers convenience but can lead to overflowing trash bins and an uncomfortable sense of waste.

So today I wanted to share some sustainable food presentation ideas that look gorgeous while also avoiding a ton of waste from serviceware. (FYI, these aren’t affiliate links, just ideas I liked!)

Fancy Finger Foods

The best way to avoid waste from serviceware is to to favor finger foods—but that doesn’t mean your menu has to be simple or childish. While dish-free service may not be realistic for formal entrees, there are many ways to serve appetizers and desserts so guests can enjoy them with only a cocktail napkin. Crostini, sliders, egg rolls, taquitos, tarts, puffs, and countless other formats can all look beautiful and delicious without the help of a plate.

Edible Containers

Food served in a container made of food can make a dramatic visual impression. Edible containers hit the trifecta of being fun, attractive, and delicious, while also eliminating waste. Choose food containers that guests can easily hold and consume without a plate or utensil, like hollowed-out sweet peppers, bowls made of bread, tortilla shells or cookies, or chocolate cups.

Skewers, Kabobs & Toothpicks

One step up from totally dish-free foods are skewers and kabobs. Using full skewers, or just toothpicks to create a mini version, offers a multitude of ways to display the colors and shapes of different foods. Choose wooden skewers over plastic for a sustainable, compostable presentation.

Paper Wraps

If you’re serving more laid-back, grab-and-go items like wraps and sandwiches, show off the colors inside by wrapping them in paper and displaying them cut side out. Guests will easily be able to see what’s on the sandwich, the contents will be contained for neatness, and you’ll significantly reduce waste compared to using individual windowed boxes.

Palm & Bamboo Dishes

With their neutral tones, unique textures, and wide variety of shapes and sizes, plates and bowls made of palm leaves or bamboo create an instantly chic feel that can coordinate with any theme or decor.

Palm leaf dishes have become very popular for their attractiveness and strength. You can easily find them in sizes from 2 oz. bowls to 10″ dinner plates to everything in between. Palm and bamboo dishes are typically compostable as well, which means you can keep a huge amount of your event’s waste out of the landfill.

Sugarcane Dishes

While many compostable sugarcane dishes tend to have a more casual look, some fun shapes are available, like this mini leaf plate. As a waste-reducing bonus, sugarcane serviceware is typically compostable.

Hopefully these sustainable food presentation ideas serve as green inspiration for your next menu!

Reducing waste doesn’t mean killing the artistic spirit of your event. I’ll help you identify green solutions that maintain the look and feel of your event.