Eight ways to encourage healthier eating habits among employees and contribute to productive workdays
In the workplace, effective nutrition-focused wellness initiatives have been shown to save on healthcare costs, improve productivity, and even improve workplace morale. Food fuels the body and the brain, so what employees eat can make or break whether they have a very productive and efficient day or a slow and listless day.
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However, when it comes to dietary changes, workers don’t want to be preached to by their employer. Instead, the key to implementing healthy eating habits in the workplace is to come up with health tips and smarter eating strategies that allow employees to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Here’s how:
1. Educate and inspire with nutrition-focused lunch and learns
Nutrition-focused workplace wellness initiatives are key to educating and incentivizing employees to make healthier food choices that can improve energy, cognitive performance, and even mood.
Lunch and learns are an effective way to empower busy employees to make positive dietary changes. Topics can vary from foods that boost brain power and mood, to how to eat for a certain time. high energy work day and even dietary tips to support immunity all year round.
On a more practical level, recipe workshops can encourage employees to put their knowledge into practice, inspiring them to create healthy lunches and snacks to improve their work performance.
2. Consider express nutrition clinic days
Employees included in 2016 Financial Times Health at work The survey identified access to a nutritionist as having the highest rate of potential health improvement. A 30-minute express nutrition consultation organized in the office can be an effective way for an employee to obtain personalized dietary advice and overcome obstacles to change.
3. Lead by example and listen to the needs of your employees
Implementing nutrition-focused wellness programs in an office can fall on deaf ears if they are not tailored to employee needs. Every business is unique, so nutrition initiatives need to be tailored and flexible to fit the workforce.
A key aspect of a good nutrition intervention is to involve employees in planning and execution. Providing a pre-program questionnaire and appointing wellness champions to partly deliver the training can be an effective way to encourage a change in diet. Engaging employees in competitions such as developing recipes for Healthy Heart Month can be a quick way to build momentum.
Furthermore, if senior members are seen Taking the time to participate in nutrition-focused wellness interventions, like attending lunch and learns, can set a precedent for the rest of the staff.
4. Encourage lunch breaks
A recent Reed’s investigation found that 68% of people don’t take their full lunch break and two in three people don’t eat lunch at all.
While it may seem like employees could be more efficient by forgoing their lunch breaks to spend more time working, that’s not necessarily true. A 2018 survey showed that 90% of employees who took an adequate lunch break felt more rested and ready to return to work. What else, be active during lunchtime It has also been shown to improve focus, mood, and productivity at work.
Encourage employees to take lunch breaks and even organizing group walks at lunchtime can help increase productivity.
6. Nutritional Boost and Healthy Snacks
Cake tray culture is prevalent in many workplaces. Recent search found that cakes/treats were regularly displayed in the main work area for 70% of employees. Nearly 60% of employees said they have a hard time turning down office cake if everyone is eating it, and almost all (95%) think sweet treats should only be on display once a week or less.
While there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a sweet treat in the afternoon, an abundance of sugary, energy-dense foods can increase the risk of weight gain and associated health problems. This, in turn, can increase absenteeism and reduce productivity.
When it comes to office snacks, “out of sight, out of mind” really is key. Remove barriers to change and address the root cause of the problem by offering healthier office snacks for longer-lasting energy and optimal brain function.
Snacks that balance blood sugar and provide a component of protein and fiber are a great choice for productivity. Try fresh fruits, nut butters, natural yogurt, hummus with raw veggies, oatcakes with healthy toppings like cottage cheese and tomatoes. For a sweeter alternative, opt for dark chocolate, energy balls or low-sugar whole-wheat banana bread.
7. Sit-Stand Workstations and Walking Meetings
If employees feel sluggish and tired, it may be due to their sedentary lifestyle, including sitting at a desk all day. Office workers spend 70-85% of their time sitting at work, meaning they are currently among the most sedentary populations, according to academic studies. Even when adults meet physical activity guidelines, sitting for prolonged, uninterrupted periods has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even weight gain.
Research published in the British Medical Journal found that sit-stand workstations could improve health markers and even improve job performance. These height adjustable stations were implemented in a trial involving 146 NHS staff. Over a 12-month period, results showed improvement in work performance, work engagement, work fatigue, presenteeism, daily anxiety and quality of life.
Walking meetings are another way to encourage activity, with exercise and fresh air also helping to increase creativity and concentration.
8. Provide water stations with a twist
It goes without saying that dehydration can lead to reduced productivity at work. Dehydration can impair cognitive performance, particularly for tasks that require attention and concentrationand reduce an individual’s complex problem-solving and coordination abilities.
Many of us forget to drink or simply don’t like the taste of water. Provide water stations in the main work area or infuse water with berries and mint for a more flavorful beverage. Herbal and fruit teas all count towards our fluid intake. During the summer months, teas can be refrigerated for a flavorful and refreshing iced tea.
Implementing educational materials and signs within the office can also remind employees to drink more water.
Lily Soutter is a nutritionist based in London
