Employers can ensure that the workplace supports healthy eating by providing time for employees to attend informational sessions, presenting good food choices in the cafeteria and vending machines. Also, supplying refrigerators and microwaves for employee use allows meals to be prepared and stored appropriately.
Make sure that fresh fruits are readily available to your staff by placing a basket in the reception area. This also promotes a healthy lifestyle as soon as customers walk through the front door. You can also place fresh fruit boxes in a communal location such as in the staff break room.
Many businesses are realizing the benefits of fruit at work because it is a healthy and beneficial snack that can be enjoyed at any time. Also, it doesn’t require preparation and it is loaded with essential nutrients that guarantee that your workforce stays healthy and fit.
Benefits and Advantages of Fruit at Work
Helping to maintain your staff’s health is one of the fundamental components for ensuring productivity in the workplace. According to this infographic, replacing traditional vending machine items with fresh fruit is an easy way to increase productivity as fruit at work can enhance employee health and wellbeing. As a result employees feel more valued and appreciated.
Invest in the health of your staff by replacing processed foods in vending machines with wholesome, nutritious, and fresh fruit alternatives. Before you realize it, everyone will notice the contrast, and your team will benefit as a direct result. Fruit helps improve memory and boosts the immune system that can lead to a decrease in sick days and extended absences. Other benefits and advantages include:
- Mood enhancement
- Feeling alert
- Increased energy
- Enhanced productivity
With so many advantages for a small investment, it’s easy to see why more and more businesses are choosing to incorporate fruit into workplace by bringing it in on a regular basis.
Why Should Your Workplace Be Concerned About Healthy Snacks?
Promoting a healthy workplace is a vital method way to improve health, so much so that the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety listed diet and exercise as a prime ingredient for reducing stress and fatigue. Apart from being lower in calories than the vending machine snacks, eating more fruit at work has a positive impact on business performance. The natural sugars in fruit enable fast thinking and can help employees remain alert for longer periods, eliminating afternoon energy drains. Employees who watch their weight report less absence-related sicknesses that those who are as overweight. The result is lowered costs associated with paid sick days and lost production. Providing fruit at work allows your staff to make a smart choice rather than something fattening and unhealthy from the vending machine. Healthy eating and active living connected to a positive outlook can lead to:
- Reduced risks of heart disease and some forms of cancer
- Elevated energy, mood, and self-confidence
- Reduced levels of stress and anxiety
- Increased opportunities to spend enjoyable time with friends and family
While it’s great for a business to create a safe, comfortable and healthy workplace, it’s also essential to encourage wholesome lifestyles among its employees. Healthy eating programs are an ideal first step. When properly implemented, they can bring groups of employees together to learn how to enhance their health at work and home.
Featured image credit: ShutterStock
