Why is corporate nutrition so important?

Companies everywhere are always looking for new ways to attract and retain talent, as well as to keep their employees satisfied. But, sometimes, the basics are overlooked, and they are not given enough importance.

Nutrition is a topic that might not be immediately associated with companies. But it can greatly impact the well-being of employees, as well as the results of a company.

What can bad nutrition do to employees?

Nutrition is the basis of everyone's health and well-being. Having good eating habits is essential to maintain a healthy weight, good levels of energy, and balanced mental health.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defends that a good diet is vital for good health and a strong immune system.

Studies show that healthy eating has many benefits and helps to lower the risk of many chronic diseases, such as:

• Obesity
• Heart disease
• High cholesterol
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Some cancers

However, even though nutrition is important for everyone, many people still don't follow healthy guidelines on a day-to-day basis.

Some motives that stop people from eating better are the lack of time, guidance, and motivation.

The lack of guidance is a big concern since many people think they are eating properly, but they are not. The internet and the wide access to social media have brought more information than ever to the hands of people. But the internet is full of poor information about nutrition and can be a big vehicle of bad information.

How can corporate nutrition have an impact on the workplace?

Unhealthy eating, with foods with too much salt, sugar, and saturated fat, raises the risk of low productivity. The consumption of high amounts of these types of foods can drastically decrease the efficiency and motivation of an employee.

The majority of people spend around 8 hours at work. Most of them tend to make some eating mistakes during the workday. Who doesn't indulge in a chocolate bar or cake at times? Who doesn't drink too much coffee and has some chips in the afternoon?

In a healthy diet, there is space for these kinds of indulgences. However, too many of these actions can have a real impact on the productivity of employees.

Eating too many sweets can cause nervousness and irritation. Having too much coffee can cause dehydration and lead to a decrease in mental performance, as well as headaches.

On the other hand, good corporate nutrition can help employees maintain their energy levels, avoid headaches, and control stress.

How can companies invest in good nutrition?

Research has shown that poor eating habits can affect a team's productivity by up to 20%. On the other hand, chronic illnesses increase absenteeism and healthcare costs.

Of course, habits are not easy to change, but companies can play an educational role in their employees. Health also starts at work, and sometimes small actions are enough.

Healthy snacks ready to grab

We all know that working on an empty stomach is an impossible mission! And when hunger strikes, fast food - or from vending machines - is the top of mind for employees who don't want to waste their work time.

So why not offer healthy snacks that are just a “table away”? Nuts, fruit, roasted chickpeas, or even dark chocolate are good options to boost your employee's energy and happiness.

Recipe-sharing groups

This initiative can be a “two in one”! Make your team healthier while strengthening the bonds between employees. Use your company's channels - Slack, Whatsapp, MS Teams - to promote recipe-sharing. You can be the moderator and give extra points to healthy and nutritious recipes. 

Next step: Decide who will be responsible for bringing the snack to the office the next day. It will be funny!

Corporate nutrition programs

By investing in a corporate nutrition program, companies can have healthier, happier, and more productive employees. It can also help your company to retain more workforce and become more attractive to new talent.

A corporate nutrition program is a great way to improve employees' overall health. It can help to guide and encourage them to embrace new, healthier eating habits.

There are different types of programs that offer nutrition for companies. Still, the most complete ones usually include different spheres, that complement each other to achieve the best results.

Nutrition appointments with registered dietitians are usually one of the pillars of a nutrition program. These professionals can have different areas of expertise, which makes them ideal for dealing with a big variety of problem, from weight loss to patients with diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol, or osteoporosis. But nutrition appointments are not only for people with diseases or excess weight: everybody can benefit from them.

A good dietitian can help with almost any problem, as such:

• lack of energy
• sleep issues
• low concentration
• constipation
• improvement in sports performance
• transition to a vegan diet
• food allergies
• help to make better food choices

If you're thinking: 'but do these nutrition programs for companies exist?', let us introduce you to Nutrium Care. Large companies - such as Vodafone, AGEAS, and Randstad - have already adopted this program and are extremely satisfied.

Through this program, you can offer your employees follow-up with excellent nutritionists, a 100% personalized food plan, workshops, webinars, themed days, and exclusive content in the area of health and nutrition. 

In fact, education is another strong point that must not be overlooked when choosing a corporate wellness program. Even when having nutrition appointments, providing educational tools is important to solidify the knowledge and ensure better results. These could be, for example, informative webinars, cooking workshops, and newsletters with recipes.

Some companies combine these programs with initiatives that promote physical activity among employees. Exercise is also becoming increasingly important, considering the low levels of physical activity registered worldwide today.

In addition to the impact on physical well-being, these initiatives improve the mental health of employees. It promotes gains in terms of self-esteem, confidence, and motivation, in particular.

Investing in a corporate nutrition program to prevent and combat unhealthy trends can make employees healthier, happier, and more productive.

Now that you know “why,” “what,” and “how,” take the next step and have a voice in the success of your company and even the world. Everyone eats every day, but almost no one knows how to eat right. Embrace this mission and ask your company to be part of the change. We count on you to take an educational and active role in the well-being of employees.