Experts reveal that nutrition contributes to the development of several chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Of these, obesity can be the most damaging. Usually, people who have excess weight struggle to eat a balanced diet consistently, making the issue worse.
Chronic health issues hurt the person and impact the people around them. In workplaces, such conditions are associated with increased absenteeism and disability claims. Thankfully, these problems are preventable when organizations encourage healthy eating habits in the workplace. Read on to know how this can be achieved:
Make Wellness a Part of Work Culture
Some workers find eating nutritious food a chore. For them, nutritious eating can take out the joy of mealtimes. However, employers can help their workers switch to nutritious eating by making healthy eating a habit. Employers can introduce fun ideas such as a healthy snack challenge, healthy eating scoreboard, or team-building cooking classes. Green Palette Kitchen offers cooking classes through which employees can connect over healthy, tasty food. Through these classes, they learn to play with healthy ingredients they have to come up with dishes they can be proud of. Employees should be encouraged to share healthy, recipes with others. Also, sponsoring a community cookbook for the business can go a long way in promoting healthy eating at work.
Encourage Workers to Eat with Colleagues
Studies show that employees who eat together consume more fruits and vegetables and less fast food. Employers should not allow their workers to eat at their desks. Rather, they can make adjustments to their lunch break policy and have an area for employees to have meals together.
Offer Healthy Food Choices
Instead of candy bowls, bowls of fresh organic fruit should be made available in the office. This way, employees are encouraged to eat apples, peaches, or oranges whenever they are hungry, anxious, or bored. Workplaces can follow the season closely, so flavors are kept interesting.
When employers cater lunches, they must offer healthy options that boost energy and carry employees through the afternoon. Bottled water should be given instead of soda. Making healthy food the workplace’s norm helps employees get used to eating healthy.
Implement Wellness Programs
A wellness program is meant to help workers make lifestyle changes to minimize their healthcare costs and improve their quality of life. Also, they help workers stay healthy and happy. Wellness programs can be customized, so they include different activities like cooking classes, workshops, monthly health eating clubs, as well as health risk evaluations and screenings.
