Since we spend so much time at work, employers can positively influence how their employees eat. As an employer, you can use your influence to encourage healthier food choices both onsite with selective vending machine options and at home through healthy eating challenges. Studies show nutrition is a modifiable behavior that impacts the risk for chronic conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that seven of the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S. are chronic conditions. These conditions cost employers billions of dollars annually in health care costs and lost productivity. Encouraging your employees to make better food choices has many benefits, including:
- Healthier employees
- Fewer sick days
- Improved productivity
- Improved health outcomes
Many employers are making changes to work toward a healthier workforce. Here are some things you can do to offer your employees healthier food options onsite:
- Review your vending machines.
- Promote dietary guidelines.
- Offer healthy choices at workplace meetings and events.
If your team is offsite, some ideas to encourage healthy food choices include:
- Create a discussion board on your intranet to share healthy recipes.
- Offer online cooking demos of healthy lunches they can make at home.
- Send out videos or links to healthy recipes.
- Ask your team to send you their favorite healthy recipe and create a team cookbook.
Learn more about how employee eating behaviors are influenced by the food options you make available at your workplace in this Blue Cross® Virtual Well-Being webinar. In the webinar, this expert duo will discuss how to update your food choices, cafeteria and vending machines. You can sign up for future employer-focused and general interest webinars here, where you’ll also find past sessions and resources. Related:
Photo credit: mapodile
