• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Big Ideas for Small Business logo

Barbara Weltman

Big Ideas for Small Business, Inc.

Whitepaper download

Subscribe and download our eBook, "150+ Tax Deductions for Small Business A to Z."

This field is hidden when viewing the form
Get the:

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Big Ideas For Your Business
    • Idea Of The Day ®
    • SMB Legal
    • SMB Taxes
    • SMB Financial
    • Small Business
    • Newsletter Archive
  • Services
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Radio Shows/Podcasts
  • Be a Guest Blogger

How to Encourage Healthy Eating in the Office

January 12, 2024 / By Jack Shaw

Encourage Healthy Eating at the WorkplaceThe new year is a time when many people attempt a health reset, whether that means getting a gym membership or committing to a diet. However, resolutions rarely last through the year when the bar is set too high.

To help your team stay on the right track, you can bring healthy eating habits into the workplace. Consider the following strategies so you and your employees can collectively embrace better well-being this year.

1.  Provide Healthy Food Selections

Make it a goal to offer and eat healthier snacks in the office. Many people are guilty of indulging in unhealthy options because they are cheaper and more convenient. If your employees usually eat junk food in the afternoon, consider stocking up on nutritious snacks.

The more fruits and vegetables people eat, the more creative and productive they are at the workplace. Consider including bananas, berries, yogurt, and mixed nuts in your pantry.

Employees are not taxed on these office snacks and the business can deduct 50% of the cost of office snacks. However, starting in 2026, this deduction is scheduled to go away.

2.  Encourage Healthy Eating Challenges

Another strategy to improve participation and high success rates is to offer group challenges. You can launch a cook-off battle where groups should create a healthy dish in under 30 minutes. Another idea is a charcuterie board game — individuals who arrange the most elegant serving win.

Aside from these fun competitions, consider promoting meal prep to assist employees in saving time and money. Studies have found that people who plan meals in advance are more likely to follow nutritional guidelines. Designate a week for the entire team to showcase their recipes and monitor any improvements in their eating habits. A weekly or bi-weekly sharing session will foster a sense of shared progress among your team.

3.  Conduct Nutritional Educational Campaigns

Educating your workforce is one of the best ways to promote healthy eating in and out of the office. Seminars or lunch-and-learns can highlight the benefits of proper nutrition in their personal and work lives. While some might already have the idea, they need extra push to take action.

If you want to double up on your efforts, you can launch a program offering individual consultation with a dietitian. Conversations with a professional can help your employees craft and stick to a personalized meal plan.

4.  Make It a Rewarding Experience

Treat your employees whenever they treat their bodies right. When people have motivation, they’re more eager to achieve their goals. You can give your workforce this much-needed boost when you offer incentives for staying on track with their goals. When your staff as a whole reaches their healthy eating goals, consider rewarding them with paid leave, out-of-town company trips, or gift baskets of healthy food selections.

Be careful about obtaining health information about employees in furtherance of your wellness programs. The EEOC spells out what can and cannot be done with wellness programs offering financial rewards.

5.  Encourage Communal Eating

Do you notice some employees who eat lunch at their desks? Try to discourage this habit through communal eating. Invite everyone to potluck lunches and get-togethers centered around healthy food.

You can form people into groups and assign them a corresponding food group. Ensure there’s a variety of food, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and seafood. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to improve heart health and decrease the risk of depression. Likewise, foods high in B-complex vitamins are known to boost energy and concentration.

6.  Lead by Example

Workplace stress is still a concern among many employees in the U.S., with 77% of workers reporting work-related stress. Healthy eating can help counteract the negative impacts of job strain. As an employer, demonstrate habits that you want to see in your workplace.

It could be as simple as eating comfort foods, such as a bowl of warm oatmeal in the morning, which can boost serotonin levels and improve mood at work. You could also encourage conversations about your favorite nutritious snacks, showing your employees your commitment to healthy eating habits. While you can’t influence your staff’s habits outside the office, exhibiting model behavior can encourage small changes that lead to a healthier workplace.

Witness a Healthier and Happier Workforce

Employers need to walk a fine line between encouraging healthy eating and engaging in weight discrimination and body shaming. As yet, weight is not recognized as a physical disability that can be addressed under the Americans with Disabilities Act, but body shaming can certainly create bad feelings in employees who are subject to jokes or other negative treatment based on their weight. Focus entirely on healthy eating. When you create a healthy eating environment for your employees, you help them care for themselves. Implementing these gestures motivates colleagues to perform well for your team.

Tags employee benefits employees wellbeing health healthy workplace office employees wellness programs workplace

Jack Shaw

Jack Shaw

With a specialized focus on individual success and self-improvement, Jack Shaw's articles provide actionable steps and valuable wisdom to ignite personal growth. Jack is the senior writer of the lifestyle publication Modded and has also been published in Hella Wealth, Skills You Need and more.

Primary Sidebar

Categories

  • General Business (498)
  • Guest Blog (109)
  • Homepage (20)
  • Small Business (989)
  • SMB Financial (322)
  • SMB Legal (65)
  • SMB Taxes (324)

Barbara’s Recent Posts

  • Disasters Happen: It’s Important to Be Prepared Now May 27, 2025
  • How Work Order Software Transforms Small Business Operations May 26, 2025
  • The Numbers Are Up for Sole Proprietorships May 22, 2025
  • New Business or Project Crowdfunding: What To Know May 20, 2025
  • Old-School Estimating vs. Smart Solutions: What’s Really Holding You Back? May 19, 2025
  • Employees Getting Called to Public Service: What to Know May 15, 2025
  • Not Too Late to Prep for Summer Now May 13, 2025
  • How Will the Next Generation of Learners Affect the Workplace May 12, 2025
  • Moms Know Best: Lessons for Entrepreneurs May 8, 2025
  • Mental Health Challenges in the Workplace May 6, 2025
  • Let’s Celebrate Small Business! May 1, 2025
  • Scaling Your Business: Adding a New State Location April 29, 2025
Awarded Top 100 Small Business Blog medal (link will open in a new window or tab)
Marquis Who's Who 2023 Badge
Top Small Business Blogs (Link will open in a new window or tab.)
8 Financial blogs small business Owners Need to Read. Invoice home.  (link will open in a new window or tab)
Best Small Business Blog, Expertido.org
Top 50 Small Business Blogs 2018
Best Small Business Blogs
BizHumm Top 100 Business Blog Award to Barbara Weltman
FitsSmallBusiness.com: Award for Best Small Business Blog 2017 (link will open in a new window or tab)
FitsSmallBusiness.com: Award for Best Small Business Blog 2016 (link will open in a new window or tab)

Footer

Big Ideas for Small Business logo

Small business ideas, business tax news and small business consulting from Barbara Weltman to provide business owners with the information they need to succeed. Visit our small business blog, Idea of The Day®, small business books and articles on small business taxes, small business finance and small business legal advice.

Contact Us

[email protected]

(772) 492-9593

gacor maxwin situs slot thailand terpercaya situs slot gacor situs gacor akun pro thailand slot bandar togel terpercaya

Latest Tweets

bigideas4sb Big Ideas for Small Business® @bigideas4sb ·
May 26

20 Best Mac Accessories (2025), Tested and Reviewed https://bit.ly/43nmpy3 #smallbusiness

Reply on Twitter 1927131488711029239 Retweet on Twitter 1927131488711029239 Like on Twitter 1927131488711029239 Twitter 1927131488711029239
bigideas4sb Big Ideas for Small Business® @bigideas4sb ·
May 26

Microsoft Build 2025: How to watch this year’s conference https://tcrn.ch/3GMdo8W #smallbusiness #Microsoft #tech

Reply on Twitter 1927085688496767460 Retweet on Twitter 1927085688496767460 Like on Twitter 1927085688496767460 Twitter 1927085688496767460
Retweet on Twitter Big Ideas for Small Business® Retweeted
militarycooi Military Support @militarycooi ·
May 25

Honor & Remember the Fallen this Memorial Day 🇺🇸

Reply on Twitter 1926716331862241374 Retweet on Twitter 1926716331862241374 1155 Like on Twitter 1926716331862241374 5127 Twitter 1926716331862241374
Load More

Copyright © 2008–2025 Big Ideas for Small Business, Inc  |  Designed by Hudson Fusion

  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap