How Should Employers Promote Nutrition in the Workplace?

How should employers promote nutrition in the workplace?

If you’ve been wondering where nutrition in the workplace fits into your overall wellness plan, just knowing it belongs there is a start.

While you can’t force workers into eating healthily, there are simple ways to promote nutrition and healthy food choices in the workplace. Employees who feed their bodies nutrient-dense foods are more likely to be productive, stay healthy, and have higher levels of efficiency.

Whether you’re sharing weekly recipes and nutrition tips from a reputable source, or simply overhauling the vending machines, every action counts.

Below we dive into how diet impacts workers' health and performance, the benefits of promoting nutrition at work, and just how to do it. 

How Diet Impacts Work Performance

Eating well isn’t just a physician's recommendation for thought. When human bodies are fueled well, it promotes both physical and mental energy. Unhealthy diets filled with empty calories, sugar, and dyes are associated with lower productivity as they can cause sluggishness and even brain fog.

Eating fruits and vegetables regularly is also thought to boost creativity and curiosity. Additionally, eating whole foods like fruits and veggies may be related to greater happiness, positivity, and life satisfaction, according to research published in the British Journal of Health Psychology.

Now that’s something to chew on!

Benefits of Promoting Nutrition in the Workplace

Aside from the immediate cause-and-effect reaction food can have on the body (hello, productivity!), overall healthy eating is good for optimal health. When employers help employees make wiser food choices, it can lead to an overall influence on their health and wellness.

Productivity is just one of the major benefits, too. A few other perks of promoting good nutrition:  

• Reduced anxiety and stress - Steering clear of simple carbs like sugary drinks can help keep the mind more at ease. Eating complex carbs releases serotonin in the brain, which has a calming effect. Think oatmeal, quinoa, and whole-grain cereal.
  
  
• Boosted immunity - Those with a well-balanced diet are eating colorful foods that can fight free radicals, which damage cells and cause illness and aging. Eat up as many colors per meal as you can — bell peppers, tomatoes, berries, kale, and the like.
  
  
• Reduced absenteeism - Research shows both physical inactivity and unhealthy eating often lead to lost productivity, including days off of work due to illness or disability. By promoting both active living and healthy eating in work programs, workers who take advantage of it can do their best work due to good health.
  
  
• Weight loss - In the U.S. alone, 41.9% of adults are obese. This can lead to a slew of health problems like diabetes and cardiovascular issues. Help your workers make smarter nutrition choices that make it easier to keep the extra pounds away.

As an employer, you have a fantastic opportunity to promote a holistic, comprehensive wellness program in your company. By promoting healthy nutrition in the workplace, both you and your employees win when it comes to better health.

Related: 13 Tips for Eating Healthier Every Day  

Starting Nutrition in the Workplace Programs

Eating is a necessity of life. Given that many workers spend a good chunk of their lives in the workplace, it only makes sense that good nutrition is promoted. Consider nutrition an essential branch of your other wellness campaigns or initiatives.

With so many marketing gimmicks, fancy packaging, and expensive food items, many consumers get overwhelmed and confused by what’s healthy. In fact, 39% of shoppers regularly buy food and beverages labeled as “natural” because they believe they’re healthier and want to avoid artificial ingredients.

If you want to start small with promoting workplace healthy food policies, survey your employees about their beliefs around food, the food in the vending machines, the cafeteria, and at work functions. Ask if they’d be interested in healthier options. Keep the survey short but ask directed questions.

Keep these ideas in mind, too:

• Why are workers interested in a healthy eating program? Are participants looking for general nutrition information, or do they need more specific programs such as heart-healthy foods?
  
  
• Consider what types of programs have been offered in the past. Which programs worked? Which did not?
  
  
• Remember who your target audience is.
  
  
• Plan when the program will be offered (seasonal, or all year).
  
  
• Identify who employees can reach out to for more help.

Then, move forward with looking at ways to improve worksite nutrition like contacting your food vendors and/or shopping around for healthier catering options. Build out a strategy that makes the most sense for what your workers are requesting.

Ideas for a Workplace Healthy Eating Program

Once you have your employees’ concerns, beliefs, and opinions at hand via a survey, it’s easier to start incorporating more wellness around eating at work.

Some ways to promote better eating include:

• Have a garden swap program - If your office is full of green thumbs, have them connect over their love of gardening. This can bring opportunities for employees to try new products and also swap their favorites with other gardeners. Those with extra bounty may consider donating it to the break room for others to enjoy.

• Create a community garden - If you have the space, consider a department-wide or company-wide container garden experience. 

Related: Start Your Own Employee Garden [Free Resource] 

• Switch food company vendors - If your vending machines are full of sodas, crackers, and other processed foods, see what the cost would be to bring in a vendor with healthier options like salads, applesauce, jerky, and more.
  
• Provide a breakroom fruit and veggie bowl - Keep fresh fruits and veggies on hand for staffers to help themselves whenever they feel the need for a snack. Let them know they’re welcome to it!
• Skip the junk food at meetings - Request that workers and leadership avoid donuts, cakes, bagels, and other processed foods for breakfast meetings. Instead, supply fresh fruit like apples, oranges, bananas, and water and tea over sugary coffees. 
• Offer electrolyte drinks, if necessary - Live in a hot, humid climate where workers sweat in a warehouse or outdoors? Treat them to hydrating sources like coconut water or sports drinks without dyes. Doing so helps them replace necessary electrolytes.
• Post nutrition or food guides - Studies show that when you show the nutritional content of meal options side by side, people often opt to take the healthier choice.

As a reminder, these ideas should be part of a complete workplace health program and complement what your company is already succeeding with for workplace health initiatives. Healthy eating programs can be a great step into getting your workforce into better overall health. In fact, it may be the missing piece for many!

Employees Who Eat Well, Live Well

Proper nutrition is essential to overall good health. The food choices you make today shape the health concerns you can have today, tomorrow, and well into the future. There’s no denying eating choices have an impact on health. From brain fog to stomach pain and energy to efficiency, the food you fuel your body with does matter.

You can’t force your employees to eat the rainbow with every meal. But you can encourage them by offering them resources and healthy options when it’s feasible.

Whether you want to see your employees have more energy, more productivity, or just generally better health, lead by example. The above ideas are just a few ways to get started. Let your team guide you with their questions, needs, and concerns when it comes to nutrition. When you do, you’ll have a better idea of just where to start when it comes to promoting useful nutrition information in the workplace.

How does your company promote nutrition at work? Share your thoughts below!