By Brady George, managing director of facilities management firm Almeda
Most people are aware of the personal benefits of healthy eating. A balanced and healthy diet can reduce the risk of an array of aliments, elevate your mood and relieve anxiety and stress.
But maintaining better eating habits can also have a positive impact on the work environment by offering benefits to both employers and employees, including increased productivity, lower employee absence and improved staff morale.
It is an issue we’re leading on here at Almeda and one many Bristol businesses are now taking seriously.
Adults spend up to 60% of their waking hours at work
While at work, it’s usual for employees to eat at least one meal and also snack. Some may bring in food from home, others might eat at an in-house canteen or local cafe, while others might buy food from a local supermarket.
There is a culture of grabbing food that is convenient but it’s not always the healthiest option. We have a responsibility as employers to create an environment conducive to healthier eating.
It is, of course, the individual’s choice in what they eat but more and more employers are starting to play a part in encouraging a healthier lifestyle among their staff to create a happier and more productive workplace.
Providing the facts
June 13 to 17 was Healthy Eating Week. Established by the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), it helps UK workers focus on healthy eating and drinking, and physical activity to encourage healthier living.
But implementing a healthy eating scheme doesn’t have to be reduced to one week of the year; there are many simple steps employers can take to improve staff eating habits.
A lot of people are unaware of nutrition facts and especially the ‘healthy’ foods that are actually lot worse than their alternatives. Most organic cereals will contain the same amount of sugar as conventional brands and many ‘green’ juices will pack as much as 50g of sugar per bottle.
Therefore providing facts and information on nutrition is one easy way to help people become more conscious about their choices.
In-house catering
Providing access to healthier foods within the workplace is one way to ensure employees know the meals they’re eating offer good nutritional value.
In March this year we launched an in-house catering division called Food with Passion. The premise of this division is to re-vamp and re-invigorate staff restaurants and change perceptions around food and drink in the workplace.
We work with companies to not only provide tempting and healthy fresh food that is ethically sourced, but also reinvigorate or install cafes or breakout areas.
As part of this process, we will survey staff on the types of food they want and create a menu around their feedback, ensuring that all produce is locally and ethically sourced, while remaining healthy and absolutely delicious.
Not every business will have in-house facilities to create this change, but a few small changes can make a world of difference. At Almeda, we have introduced free fruit and veg to all staff and make healthy smoothies. We also give staff access to an organic fruit and vegetable patch where they can grow and use fresh produced whenever they want.
Empowering employees to make the right decisions
While we understand the role an employer can take in employee health, we don’t force any initiatives onto our staff.
We are lucky to have a company culture that revolves around maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but no member of staff is obligated to join in. But at the same time we’re conscious of establishing ourselves as the flagship for change that we want to see in the world.
If you run or work for a business and would like to talk about health and wellbeing in the workplace, call 0117 937 6320 or visit www.almedafood.co.uk
Brady George, second left, at the opening of the Almeda-designed Hanson UK staff restaurant
