Nutrition: 10 tips for making healthy food and drink choices at the office - LA Daily News

It is a growing trend for employees to be provided with food in the workplace. Offering meals and snacks benefits organizations by helping to increase loyalty and productivity of workers. The healthfulness and quality of foods provided at work as well as the overall eating culture in the office can have an important impact on the eating habits, and therefore the health, of employees.

From bagels on Fridays and free snacks to pizza parties and catered lunches, many workplaces regularly provide their employees with food that is significantly contributing to their overall nutritional intake. This food may be obtained at at meetings, worksite social events and common areas like kitchens or breakrooms at no cost. At the same time, some office settings have foods-for-purchase available in vending machines or cafeterias.

While many workers may bring their food from home, results from a recent nationally representative study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that a quarter of employed adults obtain food and drink at work at least once a week. Much of the food consumed in the workplace is high in calories, added sugars, refined grains, and sodium. Low dietary quality and obesity are risk factors for chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Plus, many employees may be unaware of how many calories are taken in during work hours.

How we eat is typically a personal decision, but when organizations provide employees with food there are important food choices being made that impact many people. In addition, the office culture, which includes how employees socialize together, the leadership structure, morale, and work hours has an impact on how workers eat as a whole. An office setting that prioritizes nutrition and healthy eating and boosted morale can have a positive and lasting impact on their employees’ health.

Workplace wellness programs have been shown to be effective at improving health behaviors of employees and reducing healthcare costs. Here are some easy strategies that can be implemented at work to create a healthier eating environment and overall more mindful food culture:

1. Swap out the candy bowls with fruit bowls.

2. Provide a list of healthy meal and snack ideas.

3. Review catering menu options and consider adding health-conscious options. When ordering lunch for meetings, choose from caterers and restaurants that offer vegetable-forward meals.

4. Make water and other no-calorie drinks accessible.

5. Provide bicycles and helmets for use during work hours so employees can bike to pick up lunch instead of taking their car.

6. Subscribe to a fresh fruit and vegetable delivery service like Imperfect Produce or FruitGuys to increase in-office produce consumption.

7. Restock vending machines with better options that include fiber-rich, lower-fat snacks.

8. Start a salad club that delegates a different employee each week to make fresh salad for the team. This way everyone benefits from having more salad, but each person only needs to put in the time and effort when it is their turn.

9. At office potlucks be sure to have all dishes labeled to help those with special dietary concerns or food allergies be aware of certain ingredients.

10. Set an expectation that meetings and other important responsibilities should not take place during lunchbreak time, unless it is a lunch meeting with food provided, in order to encourage employees to not miss meals.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. Do you have a nutrition question that you’d like her to address in a future column? Send LeeAnn an email at RD@halfacup.com.

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