Just like the saying, “shut up and play the hits,” sometimes we need to be told what to read, watch, or listen to. We want the good stuff. The classics. The timeless hits. The best of the best. We get it. That’s why we’ve compiled a “best of” the Foodee blog based on the highest views in 2019 with a quick description of each post to make it super duper easy on you.

Sure, some of these blog posts weren’t published in 2019, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t relevant, timeless and fresh pieces of content that you should most definitely read. After all, some of the best writing is the work of the past. Plus, we keep our top blog posts up-to-date. These are the posts that continue to draw thousands of readers from afar—and that’s why they’ve made this hit list. So without further adieu, here they are from number 10 all the way to number 1.

Top 10 best, most trending Foodee blog posts in 2019

10. The importance of staff meals

Coming in at our number 10 most-read Foodee blog post in 2019 is ‘The importance of staff meals’. If you’ve ever worked in the restaurant and hospitality industry, you probably know that staff or family meals are paramount to the culture of many restaurants. At both the world’s best restaurants and hole-in-the-wall diners, kitchen and front-of-house staff make it a priority to sit down for team meals before every dinner service. Some of these family meals are as legendary as the restaurants themselves and even have cookbooks about them. Why put so much time, effort and money into staff meals? What can companies learn from this?

Read ‘The importance of staff meals’ and then break bread with your team.

9. How ice cream experts keep it cool

This post was written way back in 2016 and has been updated over the years to keep it on-trend and current. In the post, our food experts ask a couple of the best ice cream makers how they keep their ice cream so cold—and bring it unmelted to offices like yours. We’ve also sprinkled in a few inspirationally delicious-looking photographs of ice cream treats that we deliver.  If you want even more dessert inspo for your office, check out: 13 deliciously Instagrammable desserts for delivery.

Treat your team to some ice cream after reading ‘How ice cream experts keep it cool’.

8. Tips & tricks to following the Mediterranean diet

This is a favourite post of mine because I love Mediterranean food and try to follow this diet as much as possible. Interestingly, back in the 1950s, an American scientist noticed that people in the poorest areas of southern Italy were healthier than the richest people in New York. This is when the nutritional value of the Mediterranean diet was discovered—and our very first “Food Pyramid” was created. But they didn’t get it right.

Here’s the real version of “the world’s healthiest diet”: Tips & tricks to following the Mediterranean diet.

7. 12 Unforgettable New Year’s office party ideas

Unlike the Christmas food ideas blog post below, this post focuses on New Year’s party ideas, not food. We cover everything from simple party games and fun ways to celebrate with your office to DIY party favours and decorations. For example, making a toast to your team is one that I particularly like. It’s always a good idea to celebrate the wins and acknowledge the hurdles of the past year as well as welcome the new with your team.

It’s never too late to throw a 2020 party ‘12 Unforgettable New Year’s office party ideas’.

6. 25 best foods for your office Christmas party

This is a post that gets updated and trends every holiday season. It’s for those of you who were charged with planning the holiday mixer and don’t know what kind of food to order (and from where). This post is our favourite, top 25 best foods for any upcoming office Christmas or holiday party and tips on where to order each depending on where your office is. We’re talking antipasti board platters, bruschetta, cookies, cocktail fixings, candied popcorn, fresh loaves of bread, cheese boards, nut mixes… you get the idea.

Your holiday helper post: ‘25 best foods for your office Christmas party’.

5. What to eat when you’re sick— and where to get it

Everyone gets sick. There’s a pretty good chance that at some point in our lifetime, we’re going to be lying in bed Googling “What to eat when you’re sick” and you may just land here. This is the chicken soup for the soul kind of blog post you were looking for.  If you wanted to know about teas, ginger, garlic and honey, that’s a different post called ‘7 Superfoods that fight the cold and flu season’ which may be equally as useful.

Read ‘What to eat when you’re sick— and where to get it’ and get well soon.

4. 12 Impressive facts on the food truck industry

Food trucks have been all the rage in the last decade and for good reason. They’re serving something fresh, local, authentic, hip, convenient and hot—all in one quick and tasty dining experience. This post is just what it seems: a collection of impressive facts on the growing food truck industry. Who doesn’t love stats? Find out how (and why) food trucks have grown to become the viable market segment that it is today. Plus, we’ve name-dropped a few mouthwatering food truck partners of ours to get you hungry.

Get hungry for street food with ‘12 Impressive facts on the food truck industry.’

3. The 10 best food documentaries on Netflix

Foodee’s most viewed blog post of all time has over 75,000 views and was published in late 2017 (but has been updated several times for freshness since). In 2019, it had approximately 33,000 views and has remained a trending topic for good reason. The 10 best food documentaries on Netflix is something that none of us can help but check out—it taps into something about human nature and the “fear of missing out” or our delicious obsession with food.

On the list of best food documentaries are Cooked, Vegucated and Chef’s Table. No surprise there. I wrote a spin-off piece to this blog post called Top Netflix food documentaries that are inspiring food trends that you may find as fascinating as I do. For example, Chef’s Table showcases the trend of 100-mile diets and farm-to-table eating, while Cooked similarly talks about how humans have lost touch of where our food comes from.

Get ready for a weekend of binge-watching with ‘The 10 best food documentaries on Netflix’.

2. Compostable vs. recyclable vs. biodegradable

This post is a favourite topic of mine (perhaps it’s because I’m a Millennial or because our planet needs help). With almost 50,000 views all time and 40,000 in 2019, Compostable vs. recyclable vs. biodegradable quite literally looks like at the difference between the three packaging options. I’m thrilled to see that so many people want to learn about this topic and that it’s made the best of Foodee list!

In the post, I define what compostable, recyclable and biodegradable means and the processes behind each. We also take a look at some of the cold hard facts about the waste and recycling industries in major cities. I explain that in an ideal world, all materials could be reused and recycled several times before it’s eventually composted. Lastly, and perhaps most distressingly, we talk about what happens with waste that can’t be recycled, composted or degraded.

Get informed and do your part by reading ‘Compostable vs. recyclable vs. biodegradable’.

1. The good (and bad) news about juice cleanses

Coming in at number one best of Foodee blog post of 2019 with nearly 43,000 views was all about juice cleanses. While searching for whether or not juice cleanses work, I discovered that it depends on who wrote the article. The scientific community is less enthusiastic and confident in how well juice cleanses work, for example than many consumers, trainers and natural juice companies. Because of this, I weigh both the pros and cons of juice cleanses. One pro, for example, is the fact that juice cleanses often requires cutting out allergens, food sensitivities and other unhealthy food offenders and habits, such as (unnatural) sugar and alcohol. However, a major con is the fact that our bodies require carbs, fats, fibre and protein in order to function properly.

Read ‘The good (and bad) news about juice cleanses’ and then make your 2020 health goals.  Stay tuned for more “best of the Foodee” blogs as we collect and categorize our favourite topics for your easy reading.