Employers can support wellness efforts by offering healthy choices
The money allotted to snacks at Grimes and Teich Law Firm used to go toward cans of Coke and boxes of Oreos. But after the firm signed up for an area hospital's weight-loss challenge, the money has been going to purchase bananas and sugar-free Jello.
"We changed pretty much everything," said Melanie Ramsey, who works at the firm.
But making the switch to healthier foods in vending machines, at meetings and at birthday celebrations can be difficult for some businesses. A sheet cake for a retirement party has become commonplace in many offices.
"We accept these sweets as treats in our world," said Amanda Ridenhour, a dietitian at Mission Hospitals in Asheville. "We learn to associate these types of treats with rewards."
Vending machine choices
Providing Doritos and Snickers bars in vending machines is also cheaper, said Ronnie Arnold of Best Choice Vending.
He said people ask for the healthier foods, which typically cost 20-30 percent more than traditional vending machine options, but they usually don't sell.
He said his company has never had a request from a local business to stock an entire vending machine full of healthy options.
"When you give people a choice, they choose the unhealthy stuff," Arnold said.
But that may be changing as more offices look to implement worksite wellness programs to try to keep down health care costs.
Healthier workplaces
Stephanie Nilsson, an assistant professor of health and wellness at UNC Asheville, said becoming a healthier workplace is not hard, but it takes listening to what employees want and strong support from those at the top. It also means not making drastic changes all at once, but easing into a world without doughnuts at morning meetings.
"We're a culture of extremes, but a lot of people in the health education field promote moderation and balance," she said.
Ridenhour said presentation also plays a big part in helping employees make healthier choices.
"Once people see this can be pretty, this can be fun, seeing they can do it, tremendously improves their self-confidence," she said.
Tips for selecting healthier foods:
- Ask the caterer to use lower-fat or fat-free preparation methods, to serve added fats like dressing or condiments on the side, and to provide you with the number of calories and fat grams in entrees.
- Select entrees with about 12-15 grams of fat or less
- Select items that are broiled, baked, grilled or steamed rather than fried or sautéed
- Include whole grain breads and skip the butter or margarine
- Choose entrees in tomato-based sauces rather than cream, butter or cheese sauces
- Include fresh fruit
- Include at least one fresh vegetable with no butter or cream sauces added
- Choose pasta, tofu and vegetable salads with fat-free or low-fat dressings
- Choose lower-fat/lower-calorie desserts like fresh fruit with low-fat fruit yogurt dip, low-fat ice cream, or frozen yogurt, sherbet or sorbet.
- For breakfast meetings, offer fresh fruit, yogurt, bagels with low-fat cream cheese, jam or jelly, small or mini muffins, fruit bread and granola bars.
- For box lunches, offer vegetarian options, whole-grain bread or pita wraps prepared without butter, margarine, mayonnaise or salad dressing, use low-fat meats, poultry or marinated tofu, stick to one-ounce portions of cheese, and use toppings like lettuce, sprouts, tomatoes, onions, pickles, mustard, ketchup or low-fat mayonnaise.
- For celebrations, cut cakes into small, 2-inch squares or angel food cake with fruit topping
- Instead of a traditional potluck, have a salad, vegetarian or make your own sandwich potluck.
- Stock the communal refrigerator with healthy foods. Stock skim milk rather than creamers and splenda or sweetners rather than sugar.
- If you have food brought into the office, check menus online first to find healthy options. Shoot for items between 300 and 400 calories per serving.
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