What does good
nutrition and healthy eating have to do with employers? Is it really our
responsibility to educate staff about healthy eating?
There is a lot
of debate about whose role it is to educate people about their health. But the
best companies know that a healthy workforce means a healthy business.
According to
our recent poll 100 per cent of HR professionals believe nutrition has an
impact on the performance of their workforce.
With 100 per cent of the food that we eat affecting our health, energy and
performance at work it makes good business sense for employers to support their
staff to make healthy choices.
The challenge
for many employers is that they just don’t know where to start...
It is really
quite simple. Essentially employers need to do two key things:
1. Educate employees
Give employees the tools to achieve a balanced diet. This means educating them so that they understand what a balanced diet is for them and how to achieve it - we work with lots of organisations to do this by delivering regular health related workshops, webinars and events.
2. Make sure healthy food is easy to access and not too expensive
Where possible include healthy options for staff – if you have a canteen work with your caterers to include healthy options.
If you have vending machines either remove them or ensure they are filled with healthy snacks, ensure water is readily available and try to opt for healthy snacks, food and drink during meetings.
It is simple really. If employees are not eating a healthy diet and getting all the essential nutrients they need then they will end up feeling low in energy and will be unable to perform at their best.
1. Educate employees
Give employees the tools to achieve a balanced diet. This means educating them so that they understand what a balanced diet is for them and how to achieve it - we work with lots of organisations to do this by delivering regular health related workshops, webinars and events.
2. Make sure healthy food is easy to access and not too expensive
Where possible include healthy options for staff – if you have a canteen work with your caterers to include healthy options.
If you have vending machines either remove them or ensure they are filled with healthy snacks, ensure water is readily available and try to opt for healthy snacks, food and drink during meetings.
It is simple really. If employees are not eating a healthy diet and getting all the essential nutrients they need then they will end up feeling low in energy and will be unable to perform at their best.
To find out more click here to listen to our recent
webinar: How modern day nutrition is affecting your workforce
