Nutrition: The Missing Piece of Corporate Wellness Programs

Nutrition is often the missing piece of a corporate/organizational wellness puzzle.  While many organizations focus on physical activity in their wellness programs, they often don’t prioritize another key piece of the well-being puzzle: nutrition. According to the Institute for Health Metrics, poor nutrition has nearly three times the impact on health as low fitness. While more than two-thirds of the U.S. population classify as obese and 86 million Americans are struggling with pre-diabetes, the need for better, more accessible nutrition education is critical.

Eating with intention requires thought and focus, and it can be hard when there are so many work and life stresses competing for that mental energy.   Sometimes it feels like the best we can do is just get something in our stomachs and survive the day. Intentional eating at work can be even more challenging.

Eating well in the workplace can have a significant impact on overall health and well-being. Nutritious foods can improve concentration and cognitive function, boosting an employee’s workplace performance. It is well documented that employee well-being leads to higher creativity and productivity. The World Health Organization (WHO) has found that optimal nourishment can raise national productivity levels by 20%. Healthy employees are happier, calmer, more engaged, sleep better and get sick less often.  Providing healthy food options in the corporate setting is an effective way to get employees to stick to smart eating habits – which benefits both the individual and the company. Here are just a few of the major benefits:

Lower healthcare costs. A Center for Disease Control and Prevention study shows that 75% of corporate healthcare expenses are spent on chronic diseases, most of which are diet-related. The CDC identified the top four behaviors that contribute to chronic disease in the U.S.: poor nutrition, physical inactivity, frequent alcohol consumption, and tobacco use. These conditions cost employers $28.2 million every year in productivity loss as a result of absenteeism and functional limitation.

Eliminate the guesswork. Providing the office with healthy foods means taking out the guesswork and saving employees the time searching for affordable, fast and nutritious lunches. Employees are lacking in the time and the motivation to give a second thought to healthy eating on top of all of their pressing work duties and responsibilities. Providing employees with options such as fruits and vegetables, yogurt, nuts, granola bars, smoothies, and oatmeal can eliminate the sometimes-difficult process of finding nutritious foods.

Only 26% of adult Americans eat vegetables three or times every day. The USDA’s Dietary Guidelines recommend adults eat anywhere from five to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day depending on age, gender, physical activity and overall health. Because most corporate employees spend at least 40 hours in the office each week, their daily health decisions begin in the workplace – so it’s the perfect opportunity for employers to help tackle this problem.

Some ways to improve nutritional habits and the quality of the foods eaten at work are:

Make meetings and celebrations healthy events. Whenever food is brought in for an event, include healthy options such as a fruit or vegetable tray. If the event is being catered, request healthy, lower calorie selections from the menu. Some ways to make meetings and events healthier can include portion control, 100% whole grain products, low salt and sodium options and offering water and low-calorie beverages.

Offer healthy eating information. By offering information about healthy eating, employees will be able to make better food choices at work as well as out of work. Include opportunities to attend lunch and learn sessions about nutrition education, cooking demonstrations and supportive group discussions. These type of events can help bring nutrition to front and center.