Some good souls made the effort to come and help you move, clean or paint for the whole day. Taking on the responsibility of filling their empty bellies for the duration of the tedious task is one of the least things that you can do.
Strictly speaking, when it comes to productivity and for your own benefit, it is reasonable that you serve them something sustainable that will ease their hunger, rather than something heavy that will slow them down. Everything is in the dosage. In advance, make sure you know whether there are any vegetarians or anyone intolerant or allergic to certain foods. Always think in advance!
Lunch
Leave the pizza for supper: there’s always a risk of it being heavy on the stomach and making people feel tired after lunch.
Also keeping in mind that you have no refrigerator yet, make sure you have a cooler (or a lot of ice to fill the bathtub). Think of it as a picnic for which you have to prepare the evening before in order to save as much time as possible:
- Vegetables and energy providing dips (hummus, spinach or tofu dips…)
- Sandwiches (ham, eggs, chicken, tuna, tofu, etc). Make sure you use different types of bread!
- Cold quiches prepared the evening before (or store-bought)
- Cold tomato pizzas
- Baguettes, pâtés, cold cuts and cheese
- Some salads (tabbouli, or salads with pasta, potatoes, quinoa, legumes or vegetables…)
- Vegetable juice or a cold soup such as gazpacho with a very liquid consistency so it can it be drank
- Muffins, brownies or cookies for dessert
Munchies
Moving is a very physical job. Therefore, you should expect your family members and your friends to feel the need to refill their batteries a couple of times after lunch. A buffet is particularly appropriate and fitting in this situation so leave your vegetables, fruits, cheese cubes, granola bars, chips and food in general, lying on the table…
Staying hydrated
In no case you should ever neglect the liquid intake of your guests. Water is good for staying hydrated, but it does not provide enough energy. Always make sure to keep within their reach juices and sweetened beverages to avoid the afternoon slump.
You can also serve some beer and some rosé wine if you are sure it will not slow down your moving day party.
Supper
Yes, everyone one will sure be pleased with good old pizza. However plenty of other delivery options are available in case you feel like having something a bit more on the fancy side:
- Roast chicken (even better, Portuguese roast chicken)
- Indian food (even if there is a risk of dishes piling up in your sink)
- Shish Taouk
- Tacos
- Delicatessen
- Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai food (same comment as for Indian food)
Consider also checking menus and delivery options online a few days before your moving day for some needed inspiration:
Bon appétit!
