Employee Nutrition Guide

Dozens of practical healthy eating tips to energize your workplace

By Andrea Holwegner, BSc, RD  "The Chocoholic Nutritionist" CEO, Health Stand Nutrition Consulting Inc

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"The Chocoholic Nutritionist" Andrea Holwegner, BSc, RD

www.healthstandnutrition.com

Twitter: @chocoholicRD

Facebook: @chocoholicRD

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Table of Contents

Meet Andrea Holwegner, BSc, RD                         4

Top 5 Workplace Wellness Benefits                     5            25 Productivity Boosting                                          6 Workplace Snacks

6 Top Nutrition Strategies that                               8 Can Help Shift Workers

6 Jobs That Have the Highest                                9 Need for Nutrition Support

5 Healthy Meal Plans for                                        10 Corporate Meetings and Events

3 Fresh Ideas for Your Workplace                        12 Wellness Initiatives

5 Components of Healthy                                      13 Workplace Nutrition

Connect with Andrea                                              14

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Andrea Holwegner BSc, RDNutrition expert, Professional Speaker & Workplace Health Expert

Andrea Holwegner is the founder and has been the CEO of Health Stand Nutrition Consulting Inc. since 2000. Andrea manages a team of dietitians at her practice, has counselled Olympic athletes on the benefits of healthyeating and is one of a handful of registered dietitians in North America who are qualified professional speakers. She is a media spokesperson and nutrition marketing consultant to the food, grocery and restaurant industry, newspaper columnist and regular guest on the local news. Andrea is a member of the Dietitians of Canada, the College of Dietitians of Alberta and the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. She is known as the Chocoholic Nutritionist     , believing anyone can achieve health without guilt or complexity, and that the secret to success is having fun. As a foodie, she also adores sipping wine with her husband over a delicious meal. Most of all she loves being a mom and playing in the dirt in the vegetable garden she grows with her son. Andrea is the recipient of an award by the Dietitians of Canada: The Speaking of Food & Healthy Living Award for Excellence in Consumer Education

Read Andrea's full bio at:

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Meet Andrea

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There are many benefits to having a workplace wellness program, the top 5 benefits are:

1.  Enhanced resiliency, work-life balance and ability to combat stress.

2.  Increased stamina, energy and productivity for demanding workloads.

3.  Improved bottom line related to the high costs of health benefits, medications, sick leaves, burn-out and employee turnover.

4.  Address costly and unfavorable health concerns from biometric screening and health risk assessments such as obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and other health issues.

5.  Enhanced health confidence for your corporate team and improved wellness, safety and productivity for field workers and those that travel for their jobs.

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1.Trail mix or separate containers of nuts (such as almonds, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds)

and dried fruit (such as raisins, figs, prunes and apricots).

2. Mini cans of flavoured tuna and whole grain crackers.

3. Healthy cereal/parfait station (low sugar, high fibre boxed breakfast cereals, oatmeal,

granola, hemp hearts, chia seeds, dried fruit, fresh fruit, cartons of milk and containers of

yogurt).

4. Healthy smoothie station (supply blenders, yogurt, bananas, frozen unsweetened

berries/mangoes/peaches, yogurt, milk and almond milk).

5. Unsweetened applesauce cups, fresh whole pieces of fruit (such as bananas, apples, pears,

oranges) and individual packages of cheese (or catered fruit and cheese tray).

6. Trays or individual containers of raw veggie and dip. 

7. Whole grain bread, mini-bagels or English muffins and nut butters (such as peanut butter,

almond butter) along with cream cheese.

8. Hard cooked eggs (store bought packs of two or catered) and fresh fruit.

9. Chilled shrimp, chicken, beef or pork and veggie skewers.

10. Greek platter with whole-wheat pita bread, hummus, tzatziki and/or baba ghanoush.

11. Sliced fruit tray and cheese cube tray

12. Yogurt parfaits (yogurt, berries and granola)

13. Whole grain crackers and cheese platter

14. Bruschetta on whole wheat baguette with cheese

15. Deviled eggs and raw veggies and dip

16. Whole-wheat pita bread wedges and hummus

25 Productivity Boosting Workplace Snacks

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13. Whole grain crackers and cheese platter

14. Bruschetta on whole wheat baguette with cheese

15. Deviled eggs and raw veggies and dip

16. Whole-wheat pita bread wedges and hummus

17. Trail mix or individual bowls of nuts and dried fruit

18. Snack-size unsweetened fruit and yogurt smoothies

19. Shrimp with cocktail dipping sauce and whole grain crackers

20. Mini bran or oatmeal muffins, yogurt cups and fresh fruit salad cups

21. Mini skewers of satay chicken, beef or shrimp, and veggies and dip

22. Regular or decaf lattes, tea lattes

23. A bowl of fresh fruit at reception and in the lunchroom

24. Bowls or individual portions of Caprese salad, Greek salad,

or marinated vegetable salad

25. Bowls or individual portions of bean salad or

quinoa vegetable salad

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Examining nutrition is one of the most critical strategies that will influence the health, productivity and weight management of shift workers. Here are some top strategies to get started:

1.  Plan an eating schedule for each of your shifts. Plan to eat within one hour of waking and then schedule meals and snacks every 3-5 hours until you go to bed. This will mean that for most people they will eat between 3-6 times per day.

For example if your shift is 11pm to 7am and you wake up at 4pm, then your eating schedule may looks something like this:

by 5pm Wake-up Meal 8-10 pm Pre-shift Meal 12-2 am Work Snack 4-6 am Work Meal 7-8 am Bedtime Snack

2.  Ensure meals have both carbohydrates AND protein. Carbohydrates provide the brain and muscles with energy while protein is key for satiety and fullness. Balance your meals with 3 things (grains/starches, veggies/fruits and a source of protein). Balance your snacks with at least 2 things (veggies/fruits/grains/starches and a source of protein)

3.  Curb caffeine in the middle of your shift. Caffeine can stay in your system for as long as eight hours, so decrease coffee, tea and other caffeine sources from the middle of your shift onward.

4.  Watch alcohol intake. Despite alcohol initially making you sleepy, it can hinder entering into the deep restorative stages of sleep.

5.  Avoid large meals late into your shift. Taking in lots of food and fluid before bed can cause indigestion and make it difficult to fall asleep, as well as cause you to wake up to urinate frequently at night.

6.  Don’t go to bed starved. If you are chronically dieting, carb deprived and simply not eating enough, your sleep will be disturbed. Seek help from a registered dietitian to create a food plan that achieves a good balance of nourishment for health and weight management.

6 Top Nutrition Strategies that Can Help Shift Workers

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When employee health and nutrition is not maximized, employers have higher health benefit costs and experience more employee absenteeism (sick days, burn out and stress leaves), safety concerns, lost productivity and turnover.  Studies repeatedly show that healthier, less stressed out employees are happier, more creative and ultimately more productive.

1. Organizations with employees that have costly and unfavorable results from biometric screening and HRA (health risk assessment) such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and depression.

2. Those that have high stress, fast-paced work and family demands and where taking time to shop, cook and prepare healthy food can be a challenge.

3. Shift workers, as research shows they have a higher risk of sleep loss, obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, digestive issues, depression, stress, relationship issues, fatigue, poor concentration and reduced productivity.

4. Field workers that travel regularly for their work and eat out in camps, restaurants, fast food outlets and convenience stores in remote locations.

5. Corporate travelers that often eat in airports, restaurants and with clients. Travelling and eating out takes a toll on personal health, energy, stress management and sleep.

6. Sales teams, front line workers, customer service workers, IT and designers that need enhanced confidence, resiliency and creativity for their work.

6 Jobs That Have the Highest Need for Nutrition Support

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Poor nutrition, overeating or heavy meals lead to feelings of fatigue, sleepiness and disengagement – not the qualities you want in your meeting attendees! Providing nutritious and delicious meals and snacks at meetings provides a brain boost: attendees will have improved concentration, be more attentive and have increased creativity. To maximize attendee energy and provide healthy options for meetings, conferences and events, consider these menus and meals that follow nutrition best practices for meeting planners.

1. Continental Breakfast Skip pastries and request all breads be whole grain, rye and multi-grain. Be careful not to solely offer muffins and bagels, since these foods don’t have enough protein, and attendees will get sleepy. Add a source of protein such as peanut butter, nuts, yogurt cups, cottage cheese, cheese cubes or hard-cooked eggs. Serve fresh fruit trays, coffee, tea, water and unsweetened juices.

2. Hot Breakfast If you are offering a hot breakfast, go for whole grain toast or whole-wheat pancakeswith scrambled eggs or a vegetable and cheese egg frittata. Round out the meal with oatmeal, fresh fruit salad, yogurt, bran cereal, coffee, tea, water and unsweetened juices.

3. Cold Lunch If you are bored with standard wraps and sandwiches, consider a salad bar. Serve bowls of spinach, mixed greens and vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red peppers and grated carrots. Serve chicken, shrimp and beef in cubes or on skewers. Include alternative protein sources such as chickpeas, cheese cubes, grated feta, pumpkin seeds and slivered almonds. Serve several types of vinaigrette salad dressings and don’t forget to include whole grain buns and bread for some complex carbohydrates for brain fuel. For dessert, serve small bowls of fruit crisp.

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5 Healthy Meal Plans for Corporate Meetings and Events

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4. Hot Lunch Offer a buffet of dark green mixed salad greens, whole grain buns, seasonal mixed vegetables, chicken or beef entree with limited added fat, and rice or oven roasted yams and potatoes prepared with a small amount of oil. For vegetarians, offer vegetablelasagna, lentil curry or tofu stir-fry. For dessert, serve chocolate dipped strawberries and a fruit tray.

5. Coffee BreaksServe more than just coffee and tea, since attendees need energy to get the most out of your event. Save on cost and improve nutrition by offering jugs of water and skipping pop. Infused water dispensers are flavourful, colorful and enticing:  - Orange wedges  - Raspberries and blueberries  - Watermelon cubes and mini key limes cut in half  - Splash of unsweetened juice  - Thinly sliced cucumber and fresh mint leaves

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1. Offer “corporate nutrition challenges” with your health leaders that might include cook offs or contests with prizes (for the best healthy smoothie, soup or twenty minute meal). Organize a monthly Nutrition Club facilitated by  a Registered Dietitian but that involves plenty of group collaboration and sharing of best practices.

2. Provide onsite nutrition counselling for your employees by hiring a Registered Dietitian by the day to come onsite, or by utilizing your company benefit program. Be sure your employer health benefit program covers the services of Registered Dietitians, the only nutrition experts regulated under the Regulated Health Professions Act to ensure the best credible, effective and safe advice.

3. Remove vending machines from your facility since even the so-called “healthy” vending machine options are not ideal.  Stop offering free pop inyour workplace fridges and at meetings and divert the funds to a free healthy snack or breakfast program available daily or weekly depending on your budget.  Work with a Dietitian to review your offsite camp menus and to develop healthy catering options using your local vendors.

3 Fresh Ideas for Your Workplace Wellness Intitatives

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It is no surprise that you can’t shift change in an organization in just one hour. Healthy eating support needs to come from a wide range of ongoing initiatives.

1. Leadership and management team buy-in, education, commitment and vision.

2. Employee and family education in diverse learning styles (online education, hard copy resources, group learning and individual counselling).

3. Offer diverse healthy food choices in the workplace (beverages, vending machines, catering, retailers and events).

4. Provide a healthy environment and culture for eating (kitchen, equipment, eating area and appropriate breaks to encourage healthy eating).

5. Support health charities, food donation and nutritious fundraising initiatives.

Corporate Wellness Nutrition Scorecard

Wondering how your organization stacks up on the above five components of a healthy workplace? Fill out this scorecard by placing a checkmark in one of the columns beside each nutrition component that best describes how well your workplace is doing:

Click the photo below to get the workplace nutrition scorecard.

5 Components of Healthy Workplace Nutrition

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