Smarter Snacks

Eat right for work

By Erica Rascón on Dec 31, 2013 in News

Food: celebration, unity, comfort. The cultural significance of a meal, or even a snack, goes beyond our bodies’ need for nourishment. Unfortunately, that’s the problem. Deciding what foods to stock in the break room or how to create menus for a conference can be a daunting task. Organizers must decide between foods that nourish the mind and body—leading to greater productivity and higher morale—and comfort foods that people actually like.

Costs and ROI

There is a rumor floating around that a healthy diet costs more than an unhealthy one. That’s only half of the truth. An intensive, international study recently published by Reuters suggests that healthy eating costs an average $1.47 more per day—that’s less than a cup of coffee. Over the course of a year, that totals to about $550 per person. Since most companies don’t feed employees three meals a day, they will only absorb a fraction of these costs by serving health meals. The truth remains that healthy options cost more upfront but the cost difference is swallowed when healthcare is taken into consideration.

Check out the Union of Concerned Scientists’ findings:

• If Americans ate just one more serving of fruits or vegetables per day, this would save more than 30,000 lives and $5 billion in medical costs each year.
• If Americans were to follow current USDA recommendations for daily consumption of fruits and vegetables, those numbers would go up to more than 127,000 lives and $17 billion saved.
• According to methods commonly used by economists, the increased longevity that would result if Americans ate the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables is worth over $11 trillion.

The Integrated Benefits Institutes reports that “227 billion each year is from ‘lost productivity’ from employee absenteeism due to illness or what researchers called ‘presenteeism,’ when employees report to work but illness keeps them from performing at their best.”

Unhealthy diets cost companies money. Healthy food options, however, can lead to reduced costs, increased productivity and a happier work environment.

Morale and Productivity

Some leaders opt for unhealthy foods because they think it will make employees happier. The joy that we feel upon seeing an 18 oz steak on the brunch menu doesn’t feet too terrific around 4pm when our bodies are aching for a nap and a heart bypass. That’s because foods that are high in carbs, fat, and sugar can lead to fatigue, grouchiness, mental fogginess, depression, and anxiety according to a UCLA study.

In contrast, analysis by the World Health Organization suggests that a healthy diet can improve your productivity by 20 percent!

If you want a genuinely happy and productive staff, healthy foods are the way to go. Exploring these healthy options can increase revenues by giving your employees what they need to thrive.

These easy snacks are portable and fun, perfect for meetings

Dark chocolate is rich in polyphenol, which boosts serotonin levels in your brain. As a result, you feel calmer and happier. Dark chocolate has less sugar than milk chocolate, minimizing the subsequent sugar slump.

Avocado boasts healthy, monounsaturated fats that promote healthy brain function and increase your ability to concentrate on difficult or tedious tasks (great for accountants). The fruit’s antioxidants also help to prevent risk of cancer and heart disease.

Bananas can jack you up with 10 milligrams of blessed dopamine, the feel good neurotransmitter.
Feel good about that 2 hour conference call!

Blueberries and blackberries offer anthocyanin, a great antioxidant and mood enhancer. The berries’ antioxidants can also give your sales team healthy, glowing skin, which couldn’t hurt.

Almond milk has more calcium than cow’s milk and a healthy dose of Vitamin D. The paring of calcium and Vitamin D will strengthen the brain’s neurotransmitters, promoting mental clarity. This lactose-free option makes a great sweetener for coffee and tastes great alone.

Make sure that these foods appear on your conference menus

Tumeric appears in many Asian dishes. It improves our mood and enhances our brain’s natural defenses.

Wild caught salmon furnishes our bodies with Omega 3s that can help to improve concentration and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Kale, spinach and arugula provide iron, which is vital for both memory and energy. Plant-based iron sources are more easily absorbed into the body than animal-based sources, especially when paired with vitamin C. How about a mixed greens salad with berries on top?