Here at LeanBox we’re big fans of free snacks around the office. However, a study from the CDC leveraging data from a national USDA food acquisition and purchasing survey suggests that free food in the office might not be a good thing.
What are the facts?
The study surveyed over 5,000 employed adults in the US. Findings showed that people are obtaining food at work at least once a week which averages out to around 1277 kcal per employee per week. Free food accounted for 71% of all calories acquired at the office. Out of the food eaten by surveyed adults the leading food types were pizza, soft drinks, cookies, candy, cake, and brownies. All these foods are extremely high in empty calories, sugar, sodium, and solid fat. Almost entirely missing are whole grains and fruit.
The conclusion of the survey states “A significant number of working Americans obtain foods and beverages from work and the foods they obtain do not align with dietary guidance. Worksite wellness efforts should consider improving dietary quality of food sold or offered at work.”
What can you do to help?
- Subsidize Healthy Options – Leanbox has custom subsidies that offer a variety of options for employees who make healthy snack choices. We’ll work with you team to customize a subsidy program to encourage your to snack healthy – one great example: $2 off any fruit based or whole grain product purchased from the LeanBox.
- Reinforce Great Eating Habits – Eating together has been proven to increase team performance at work. It can also create a sense of engagement and commitment to the overall company objective of a healthier workforce.
- Share – Congratulate people that are working to contribute to a healthier workplace. If Paula from HR brought in homemade granola bites for her team invite other departments over to share the leftovers!
“Worksite wellness programs have the potential to reach millions of working Americans and have been shown to be effective at changing health behaviors among employees, reducing employee absenteeism and reducing health care costs.” Stephan Onufrak of the CDC
Great food culture is directly tied to a great office culture. So next time your buying food for the office think about how your choices impact the overall wellness of your company.