According to the CDC, employers waste over $225 billion a year from productivity loss.
Productivity loss includes sick days and time spent off-task. This time is often missed due to health concerns or other personal reasons.
If you want to keep your employees happy, healthy, and working, you may need to supply them with better food.
Continue reading to discover why and how you can promote healthy eating in the workplace. Along with other methods of improving your employees' well-being to strengthen your company.
Why Should You Care About Employee Health?
Having healthy foods to eat for lunch at work can be beneficial to your company and wallet.
A happy and healthy employee is more productive and efficient at work. Unhealthy employees will cost more in the long run, due to medical and insurance coverage. Employees that aren't healthy are also more likely to take off more sick days.
To prevent absences and unproductive time, you should support and encourage healthy habits.
Studies have shown that over 60% of employers saw a reduction in healthcare costs when they implemented wellness programs.
Below are 10 ways that you can encourage healthy eating for your employees.
1. Offer Alternatives
For a long time, companies have not had the option of replacing certain foods with healthier alternatives.
Meat and dairy alternatives are becoming more popular and easily available. Making them accessible in the workplace will offer your employees the chance to eat plant-based foods that are full of nutrients.
Milk alternatives can also help keep employees healthy by supplying them with important vitamins and nutrients. Nut and oat milk are excellent alternatives that you can keep around the coffee maker for break time.
2. Update the Vending Machines
Offering more substantial and healthier foods in the vending machines is one way of promoting healthy eating.
Many people get their lunches or snacks from the vending machines because it is quick and convenient. Filling them up with healthier options can help your employees effortlessly make better food choices.
If you want to replace unhealthy vending machines should look at healthy vendor machine reviews. These reviews can help you make an informed decision on workplace eats.
3. Avoid Breaking New Habits
Business meetings and birthday parties at work events often involve unhealthy snacks.
Between cream cheese bagels and birthday cakes, it should be no surprise if you see an increase in sick days. Sugary and unhealthy snacks can weaken the immune system and lead to obesity over time.
Offering healthy options, even during celebrations, is important if you want your employees to make healthy choices.
4. Bring in Professional Help with Health Experts
If your efforts to improve health in the workplace don't seem to be working, you may need to get professional help.
Having a nutritionist or dietician come and speak with your employees can help them ask questions and learn about what is setting their health back. It may also be the best option if you aren't sure what types of foods to encourage.
Even doctors could help by discussing common health problems that relate to eating with your employees. Bringing in a chinese medicine doctor could be an excellent compliment to a healthier nutritional offering in the workplace.
Hiring a specialist from https://www.modernmysteryschoolint.com could also ensure that employees take a more holistic approach to their health beyond just nutrition.
5. Make It a Challenge
Competition in the workplace can be good and healthy, but only if it is friendly.
Creating a fun challenge for your employees can help inspire and encourage them to make better food choices. Keeping track of veggie and fruit intake can be a good way to track performance if you need help.
Having sports competitions and games are also a fun way to get employees involved and moving.
6. Make Healthy Options Easy to Get
Convenience is one of the most important things to have in the workplace.
Employees are constantly on the go and don't have all afternoon to decide on a snack. Offering healthy snacks and fruit for free is a good way to encourage healthy living.
Not only does this eliminate all problems of getting access to healthy foods, but it also gives a chance for employees to try something new. Some people may not be aware that an alternative is just as tasty because they have never tried it.
Offering these snacks for free takes off pressure on them so that they can focus on their work and health.
Other Ways to Promote Healthy Lifestyles
There are other ways that you can promote healthy lifestyles in the workplace.
Adding water jugs and dispensers is an easy and cheap way of promoting health in the workplace.
Employees can easily get caught up in work that they forget to stay hydrated, keeping jugs around will be a constant reminder.
Getting active is another way to encourage health at work. Many co-workers create sports teams that meet up each week to have a friendly competition.
Changing sitting desks to stand-up desks is another method that some companies have used to promote health. The idea of stand-up desks is to get you on your feet. This can help relieve back pain and keep employees in top shape.
While not every office or work environment is supportive of medical or recreational marijuana, if it is then you could offer employees a designated smoking area. Your company could also offer premium custom rolling trays to support these workers even further. Supporting employees with all needs and lifestyles can help to improve worker morale and health.
The Greatest Wealth Is Health
Even in the working world, the greatest wealth will always be health.
This guide will be helpful if you are wanting to promote healthy eating and living in the workplace.
Replacing junk food in vending machines with healthy options is a simple way that you can improve employee health. Offering meat and dairy alternatives are also a great way to encourage employees to make healthy eating choices.
Don't be afraid to use other strategies for promoting health in the workplace. Surrounding your staff with information and tools can help grow your wallet and business.
Be sure to check out our blog for more articles on how to have happy and healthy employees!
5. Make It a Challenge
Competition in the workplace can be good and healthy, but only if it is friendly.
Creating a fun challenge for your employees can help inspire and encourage them to make better food choices. Keeping track of veggie and fruit intake can be a good way to track performance if you need help.
Having sports competitions and games are also a fun way to get employees involved and moving.
6. Make Healthy Options Easy to Get
Convenience is one of the most important things to have in the workplace.
Employees are constantly on the go and don't have all afternoon to decide on a snack. Offering healthy snacks and fruit for free is a good way to encourage healthy living.
Not only does this eliminate all problems of getting access to healthy foods, but it also gives a chance for employees to try something new. Some people may not be aware that an alternative is just as tasty because they have never tried it.
Offering these snacks for free takes off pressure on them so that they can focus on their work and health.
Other Ways to Promote Healthy Lifestyles
There are other ways that you can promote healthy lifestyles in the workplace.
Adding water jugs and dispensers is an easy and cheap way of promoting health in the workplace.
Employees can easily get caught up in work that they forget to stay hydrated, keeping jugs around will be a constant reminder.
Getting active is another way to encourage health at work. Many co-workers create sports teams that meet up each week to have a friendly competition.
Changing sitting desks to stand-up desks is another method that some companies have used to promote health. The idea of stand-up desks is to get you on your feet. This can help relieve back pain and keep employees in top shape.
While not every office or work environment is supportive of medical or recreational marijuana, if it is then you could offer employees a designated smoking area. Your company could also offer premium custom rolling trays to support these workers even further. Supporting employees with all needs and lifestyles can help to improve worker morale and health.
The Greatest Wealth Is Health
Even in the working world, the greatest wealth will always be health.
This guide will be helpful if you are wanting to promote healthy eating and living in the workplace.
Replacing junk food in vending machines with healthy options is a simple way that you can improve employee health. Offering meat and dairy alternatives are also a great way to encourage employees to make healthy eating choices.
Don't be afraid to use other strategies for promoting health in the workplace. Surrounding your staff with information and tools can help grow your wallet and business.
Be sure to check out our blog for more articles on how to have happy and healthy employees!
