If you are an employer that wants to reduce employee healthcare costs, get rid of unhealthy cafeteria food and switch over to homemade food. Not only will you be saving money on the food itself, but you will also make your staff healthier and fitter. Switching to more nutritious food will make your employees feel better and more productive and increase the organization’s bottom line. After all – you are what your employees eat.
Why is it essential for your employees to eat healthily?
1. Less absenteeism
Healthy food equals healthy employees, which means fewer people miss the office. Frequent absences from work reduce productivity and also increases the cost of healthcare.
2. Better concentration
Nutritious food can improve your brain power and make you more alert. When you are healthy and energetic, your ability to concentrate improves.
3. Happiness
Healthy homemade food at the office will be seen as an office perk. Healthier options like thalis, dosas, palak paneer, etc., are excellent low-cost options that can make your employees happy.
4. Fewer health issues
A healthy diet that includes fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.
5. Fitter workforce
Unhealthy eating can lead to obesity. Obesity is linked to severe medical conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, back pain, and impaired sleep.
6. More energy
Eating healthy makes your employees feel better. It gives them the fuel to perform their daily office work and still have the energy to enjoy their personal time.
How can you get your staff to eat healthier food?
While you can’t force your employees to follow a specific diet, you can undoubtedly make eating healthier easier with the following steps –
1. Improve knowledge
Many of your employees may not know that they are ruining their health with their food choices. Invite a nutritionist to your office and organize a talk on healthy eating. Organizing such talks costs very little but can make a huge difference. You can also add some articles about health and nutrition to your company newsletter.
2. Make it easy
Many people prefer to eat cafeteria lunches as they find getting homemade food to the office cumbersome. Make it easy for people to bring food from home by providing microwaves and refrigerators. They can store their food in the fridge and reheat it whenever possible.
When employees get food from home, they make healthier choices.
3. Team up with homemade food services
Homemade food delivery services like Mealawe provide healthy food to your homes and offices. They have a team of talented neighborhood chefs who provide you the same food they serve their families. This ensures that your food comes with an added dose of nutrition and taste.
4. Encourage potlucks
Assign one day a week for healthy potlucks. Encourage the people at your office to bring a dish they love to cook at home. Encourage them to think traditional and wholesome. Not only will this improve camaraderie in the office, but it will also push the employees toward eating healthy food.
5. Get office parties and events catered by home chefs
Stay away from the regular pizza, burgers, and nachos for your company events. Instead, get the food catered by home chefs from your neighborhood. You can also order the food from Mealawe and get it delivered to your office without putting in any extra effort. Here you can look for your choice of authentic regional home kitchen and place your order. All the home kitchens at Mealawe are 100% FSSAI certified.
6. Start a healthy food program
You may find a few of your employees who are keener to eat healthy, while the others want to stick to their pizza diet. Don’t be disheartened. Let this voluntary group organize healthy menus and plan more nutritious food for meetings and catered events at your workplace.
Final thoughts
Not all food that we put in our bodies is good for us. Food like bread, pasta, and sodas lead to a burst of energy, followed by a slump. It is not what you want for your office lunch. Burgers and pizzas are high in fat, providing sustained energy, but they can make you groggy post lunch when you have an important meeting. The best option for your employees is a healthy homemade lunch from homemade food delivery services like Mealawe. Several companies are reaping the benefits by emphasizing healthy eating. As more and more employees turn to healthy eating, they will improve their mental and physical health. A happier and healthier workspace is a more productive workspace.
