Corporate wellness programs: the importance of healthy eating
Employees spend almost a third of their day working at the company. This means that many of them could be eating two main meals of the day (breakfast and lunch) in the company. At work, employees are working under stress and also feel some exhaustion from time to time, both physically and mentally. Studies show that stress increases the desire to eat in people and that, more often, they eat foods high in fat or sugar. Therefore, choosing the wrong foods in the company cafeteria during those times can be detrimental to your health, well-being, and productivity. In the long term, regular consumption of these foods can lead to health complications such as being overweight or obese, increased risk of diabetes and hypertension, increased lipid levels, etc.
Today, office cafeterias provide a variety of food options to their employees. The priority of the workplace cafeteria is to provide food that employees will buy and not necessarily food that will promote health, as the taste of food is more of a priority than the nutrition of food. We all know that tasty food means heavy use of oil, butter, cream, mawa, salt, sugar, etc. in food. Employees eat breakfast and lunch almost daily or at least lunch in the company cafeteria. Therefore, it is very important that healthy and nutritious options are made available to you.
How will offering healthy food options benefit a workplace?
1. No dips in the afternoon: We know that our brain needs glucose to keep it functioning, alert and functioning throughout the day. Eating foods that are high in fat and sugar will make the stomach feel heavy, which will make the person feel sluggish and sleepy. Therefore, having a nutritious, light and tasty afternoon lunch is very important to combat post-lunch depression. This will also help steer clear of unwanted cups of coffee, tea, and other options that one can seek out immediately after lunch to combat sluggishness.
2. Morale boost: Eating a healthy diet promotes physical and emotional well-being. Being happy and in a calm state of mind will help the employee to develop a positive relationship with colleagues and enhance creativity at work, as there will be minimal stress associated with work.
3. Less sick leave: A healthy diet will ensure that the body gets all the nutrients it needs to build, improve, and strengthen the immune system. Good immunity ensures good health and fewer illnesses.
What can you do to have a cafeteria with healthy food options?
Today, corporate wellness programs designed by healthcare professionals include counseling and counseling in the office cafeteria, healthy menu planning with interesting recipes, and healthy eating talks so that employees understand the importance of health even in the job.
So what do these health professionals do? Cafe Nutritionist In Mumbai we have health professionals including trained dietitians and nutritionists who evaluate the canteen menu run by outside agencies, calculate the calories of the foods served on the menu, and educate employees on their nutritional quotient. Alternatively, they can also design nutritious and interesting menus with meal planning principles in mind. Planning healthy snacks is also the responsibility of dietitians and nutritionists deployed within the company. Therefore, midnight hunger pangs need not be treated with vada pavs, samosas, potato chips, etc. Healthier options can be made available to employees.
Today’s companies are realizing the needs of health conscious employees. Tea and coffee can be replaced by these employees with green tea, lemon tea, buttermilk or herbal tea available in the office. Additionally, businesses can stock office vending machines with healthy snacks such as makhanas, kurmura, jowar puffs, un-fried peanuts, roasted chana, etc. to provide employees with healthy snack options. Fruits can also be made available to employees in the cafeteria to combat hunger in the middle of the night.
Obesity, diabetes and hypertension are the conditions that mainly result from following an unhealthy lifestyle and eating patterns. It is very important to take care of the food consumed, whether at work or at home. A corporate wellness program should aim to increase the productivity of the workforce and planning tasty and nutritionally balanced menus is an integral part of these programs.