Celebrate National Nutrition Month: Create a Healthy Workplace for your Employees

The month of March brings the anticipation for warmer weather and sunnier days ahead. You may notice a boost in employee morale with renewed energy and motivation as the snow melts away. This is the perfect time to support your employee's wellness and as luck would have it, March is also National Nutrition Month.

What is National Nutrition Month?

National Nutrition Month is an annual campaign launched by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics every March to promote the importance of healthy eating and physical activity. As an employer, you can take advantage of this month by creating a healthier workplace environment for your employees. The modern-day worker wants to feel that their well-being is a priority to their employer and there are some perks for you, too! Encouraging healthy habits among your employees can lead to:

• A boost in company productivity

• Lower healthcare costs

• Increased employee satisfaction.

Here's how you can create a healthy workplace environment:

Provide healthy food options

One way to encourage healthy eating habits is by simply offering healthier food options in the workplace. You can change the way your office eats by making healthier foods more available and accessible. This can include providing fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain snacks in the break room or vending machines. You can also consider tweaking the current meal options at your workplace cafeteria, or offering to buy the office a healthy lunch.

Promote physical activity

Nutrition is just one piece of the puzzle. Regular physical activity is another key component to good health. Encourage your employees to incorporate physical activity into their daily routine by providing on-site fitness classes, discounts to exercise, organize walking meetings or encourage employees to take movement breaks throughout the day.

Educate employees about nutrition

There is a lot of confusing nutrition information online today and many employees may not have a good understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet. Providing nutrition education can help employees make better food choices and improve their overall health. Consider reaching out to local dietitians and see if they'd be willing to offer a nutrition classes or seminars on healthy eating habits, portion control, and cooking healthy meals.

Offer wellness competitions

Wellness competitions can be an effective way to encourage healthy habits among employees. These programs can include step challenges, healthy eating competitions, stress management activities, or an office 5K. Be sure to offer fun incentives for those employees who participate.

Create a supportive work culture

Creating a supportive work culture can go a long way in encouraging healthy habits among employees. Encourage team members to participate in self-care both at home and at work. As the boss, it's important to check in with your staff frequently to ensure they are feeling healthy and happy in their role. You can even offer flexible work hours or remote work options to allow employees to prioritize their health and well-being.

Lead by example

As the employer, you set the tone for the workplace. If you are prioritizing your health, your employees are more likely to follow your lead. Consider participating in workplace wellness programs, taking walking breaks with your employees, or bringing healthy snacks to meetings. This can help create a culture of wellness in the workplace.

Don't miss the opportunity to advantage of National Nutrition Month! Focusing on nutrition, exercise and general well-being is something we all need to prioritize after a long, cold winter. Investing time and energy into optimizing employee nutrition, physical activity and general well-being will help to increase your office productivity and improve employee morale. A healthier team is a happier team!

Don't forget to share your wellness activities on your social media. Contact us if you need ideas!