Workplace Nutrition Toolkit

Transcription

1 Workplace Nutrition Toolkit

2 Why does nutrition matter at work? Did you know Marylanders spend an average of 9.2 hours per day at work? Whether we like it or not, work consumes the majority of our days. With that being said, the workplace is a noteworthy setting that influences employees health and wellness. One aspect of health and wellness that you can take control of at your place of work is nutrition. In other words, you have the right to have healthy foods available for yourself and your fellow employees. Whether your business employs 10 people or 100 people, this is relevant to you. The Washington County Health Department (WCHD) wants to help you implement nutrition standards and encourage healthy eating at your business. Whether you are interested in making small changes or big changes, we are available to support you and help you achieve your goals. This can happen by meeting with you in person, talking over the phone, or communicating via . Please use this guide to consider nationally recognized standards that have already been developed. Use this guide as inspiration to develop nutrition standards appropriate for your unique workplace. If you are interested in accessing help from the WCHD to develop nutrition standards at the workplace, to encourage healthy eating with promotional resources, or have general questions, please contact: Heather Myers Washington County Health Department Phone: heather.myers@maryland.gov What information can you find in this toolkit? Vending machine guidelines Healthy vending machine snack ideas Concession/ cafeteria guidelines Meeting/ food event guidelines How to start implementing guidelines 1

3 Vending Machine Guidelines Aim to stock your vending machines with foods and beverages that fulfill these guidelines. The following guidelines are based on the American Heart Association s healthy food procurement standards. Food Guidelines No more than 200 calories No more than 10% of calories from fat Zero gram of trans fat No more than 230mg of sodium per serving Avoid fried foods Avoid foods with added sugars Beverage Guidelines 100% fruit and vegetable juices should be no more than 180 calories with no added sweeteners Skim or 1% Milk or Soy should be no more than 150 calories per 8 ounces No or low-calorie beverages should be less than 10 calories per 8 ounce serving Other light juices, teas, and other should be no more than 66 calories per 8 ounce serving Bronze Standard 25%- 50% of vending machine items follow food and beverage guidelines Silver Standard 75% of vending machine items follow food and beverage guidelines Gold Standard 100% of vending machine items follow food and beverage guidelines 2

4 Healthy Vending Machine Snack Ideas Non-refrigerated Healthy Vending Machine Options Canned fruit cups Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, and apples) Pretzels Baked chips Low-fat popcorn Whole grain crackers Low-fat granola bars Low-fat, whole grain cereals Low-fat, whole grain cereal bars Trail Mix Graham crackers Animal crackers Plain nuts 100% fruit leather Fig bars Salsa with baked tortilla chips Refrigerated/ Frozen Healthy Vending Machine Options Vegetables such as baby carrots, broccoli florets, and celery sticks Fresh fruit salad Fresh vegetable salad with low-fat or fat-free dressing Packaged fruit slices such as sliced apples Non-fat yogurt Non-fat cottage cheese Sandwiches made with vegetables and/or lean meats on whole grain bread Frozen 100% fruit bars Water 100% fruit juice 100% vegetable juice Non-fat or 1% low-fat milk 3

5 Healthier Vending Machine Options Grow Vending Call Tim Williams: Maryland Vending Phone: Maryland Vending Machines Phone: Vend Natural CRH Catering Company Monumental Vending Phone: Company Kitchen Business must complete form via link above to find out if facility qualified. Avanti Phone: Fresh and Healthy Vending Central Vending Services healthy_food_vending_selections.html Vendworks

6 Encourage Healthier Vending Selections Place a symbol (could be something as simple as a heart sticker, for example) beside the vending machine choices that are lower in calories and fat grams. Create a poster that describes the nutrition facts of each vending machine item. Place poster within close vicinity of each vending machine in a prominent location. List each item, along with calorie, fat, sodium, and etc. content Highlight the item options that are healthier Make the location of healthier options more noticeable in the vending machine. Place water and healthier food choices at eye-level. Less healthy options should be placed towards the bottom of the vending machine. Talk to vendors/ stakeholders about offering lower prices for healthier options; making the healthiest choice, the most affordable choice. 5

7 Concession/Cafeteria Guidelines The following concession/cafeteria guidelines are developed by Health and Human Services (HHS), General Services Administration (GSA) collaborative team, and the Federal Health and Sustainability Team for Concessions and Vending. Fruit All canned or frozen fruit must be packaged in 100% water or unsweetened juice, with no added sweeteners. Offer a variety of at least three whole or sliced fruits daily. Offer a variety of seasonally available fruits. Vegetables Offer daily, at least one raw, salad-type vegetable and at least one steamed, baked, or grilled vegetable seasoned, without fat or oil. All vegetable offerings must contain 230 mg of sodium, as served. Mixed dishes containing vegetables must contain 480 mg of sodium, as served. Offer a variety of seasonally available vegetables. Above Standard Offer at least one prepared vegetable option with 140 mg of sodium, as served. Cereals and Grains When cereal grains are offered, (such as rice, bread, pasta) then a whole grain option must be offered for that item as the standard choice. All cereal, bread, and pasta offerings must contain 230 mg of sodium per serving. At least 50% of breakfast cereals must contain at least 3g of fiber and less than 10g total sugars per serving. Above Standard When cereal grains are offered, a 100% whole grain option must be offered for that item as the standard choice. If cereal is offered, offer at least one cereal with 140mg of sodium per serving. 6

8 Dairy/Yogurt/Cheese/Fluid Milk If milk is offered as a beverage, only offer 2%, 1%, and fat-free fluid milk. If cottage cheese items are offered, only offer low-fat (2% or less) or fat-free items. If yogurt is offered, only offer 2%, 1%, or fat-free yogurt. If yogurt is offered, only offer yogurt with no added caloric sweeteners or yogurts labeled as reduced or less sugar according to FDA labeling standards. Processed cheeses must contain 230 mg of sodium per serving. Protein Foods When protein entrees are offered, offer lean meat, poultry, fish, or low-fat vegetarian entrée choices. At least twice per week, offer an entrée with a vegetarian protein source. Canned or frozen tuna, seafood, and salmon must contain < 290mg of sodium per serving, and canned meat < 480 mg of sodium per serving. Above Standard A vegetarian entrée must be offered every day. Beverages At least 50% of available beverage choices (other than 100% juice and unsweetened milk) must contain 40 calories per serving. If juice is offered, only offer 100% juice with no added caloric sweeteners. Vegetable juices must contain 230mg of sodium per serving. Drinking water, preferably chilled tap, must be offered at no charge at all meal service events. Above Standard For beverages with more than 40 calories per serving, only offer servings of 12 ounces or less (excluding unsweetened milk and 100% juice). At least 75% of beverage choices (other than 100% juice and unsweetened milk) must contain 40 calories per serving. Offer as a choice a non-dairy, calcium-fortified beverage (such as soy or almond beverage); these beverages must not provide more sugars than milk (thus be 12g of sugar per 8 ounce serving or less), provide about the same amount of protein (6g per 8 ounces), calcium (250mg per 8 ounces), and provide less than 5 g of total fat (equal to that of 2% milk). Offer at least one low-sodium vegetable juice ( 140 mg of sodium per serving). 7

9 Other Considerations Deep-fried options must not be marketed or promoted as the special or feature of the day. Limit deep-fried entrée options to no more than one choice per day. Off half or reduced size choices for some meals and concession items, when feasible. Where value meal combinations are offered, always offer fruit or a non-fried vegetable as the optional side dish, instead of chips or cookie. Above Standard Make healthier options more appealing to the consumers by offering them at a reduced price as compared to less healthy alternatives. Offer desserts that use less or no added sugars. For example, offer desserts prepared with fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, applesauce, and yogurt without added sugars. 8

10 Meeting/Food Event Guidelines Choose and pick from the following guidelines that best suit the needs and capabilities of your workplace. Right now, your co-workers and workplace may not be ready to adapt silver or gold guidelines; this is okay! Start by adapting a few bronze guidelines and then adapt more over time. Bronze Nutrition Guidelines Offer one fruit and vegetable per every workplace event that is offering food. Display fruits and vegetables attractively and prominently. When served buffet style, place fruits and vegetables near the front of the line to encourage their selection. Provide naturally low-fat condiments and smaller portions of full-fat dressings. Offer smaller portion sizes and prepare food in ways that reduce added calories (example: baking instead of frying). If purchasing packaged items, choose those labeled low sodium or reduced sodium. Offer fat-free or low-fat dairy products for coffee and tea. Offer smaller size or mini desserts to limit calories. Always offer water as the default beverage- avoid soda! If serving soda or high calorie /sugar drinks, provide 12 ounce or smaller beverage cups to discourage large servings. Decide whether or not food is necessary at the meeting; avoid offering food between meal times. 9

11 Silver Nutrition Guidelines (Silver standards also include accordance to bronze standards) Use whole grain breads, roles, tortillas, pasta, brown rice, quinoa, and other whole grains as part of healthful salads and mixed dishes/casseroles. Offer foods that are flavored with spices and herbs instead of salt. Only offer meat, fish, or poultry in healthier ways such as baked, broiled, steamed, or grilled. Offer beans and legumes as vegetable-based protein sources. Add meat, fish, poultry to stews, soups, salads, and mixed dishes to reduce large protein portion sizes. Offer individual snack food items with less than 230 mg of sodium per serving. Offer frozen 100% juice bars or sorbets instead of high-calorie desserts. Discourage the practice of dumping or leaving leftovers of less healthy foods (such as Halloween candy, birthday cake, donuts) in common areas, such as the office kitchen. Serve healthier beverages such as water with lemon, unsweetened coffee or tea, plain seltzer water, or seltzer water with a splash of 100% juice. Offer hot tea options when serving coffee. 10

12 Gold Nutrition Guidelines (Gold standards also include accordance to bronze and silver standards) At least half of all food served should be fruits and vegetables prepared and served without high amounts of added fats, sugar, or salt. Offer cheese in small portions (1/2 inch squares or smaller). Do not offer foods that contain industrially produced (or artificial) trans-fatty acids. Offer 100% whole-grain products in a variety of forms. Offer fish, meat, and poultry in portions 3 ounces or smaller. Avoid offering food with partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredient list. Offer drinks no more than 40 calories per 12 ounce serving. Offer incentives for using refillable water bottles. Always include vegetarian options. Develop a healthy meeting checklist; a checklist that may be referred to before every meeting to ensure foods and beverages offered are nutritious. 11

13 How to Start Implementing Guidelines You do not have to be an expert on nutrition to implement nutrition guidelines. Use these steps to help you get started. Even the smallest changes can make a difference. It is a good idea to simply focus on a few changes and then gradually work your way up to implementing more over time. 1. Get upper-management support Communicate with upper-management and discuss concerns in regard to unhealthy food at the workplace. Express an interest in creating and implementing simple nutrition guidelines to help improve the health and wellness of co-workers. 2. Create a wellness team and meet regularly Try to incorporate individuals who demonstrate a personal commitment to health and well-being to be a part of your wellness team. The team will oversee the development and implementation of changes. Creating a diverse group of employees from all sectors and all levels will help promote employee buy-in. Utilize and value the input from all team members in regard to brainstorming the best strategies for implementation. As a team, choose a time that works for everyone to meet; whether it is once every 2 weeks, once every month, or once every three month. The team may only have to gather for brief amounts of time such as 15 minutes! 3. Choose one goal at a time Although there may be many nutrition-related aspects you d like to change at your place of work, simply choose one goal to start working towards. Decide upon a realistic goal with your wellness team and then create an action plan along with a reasonable time frame. Divide action plan tasks amongst the wellness team accordingly and appropriately. Once one goal is successfully achieved, then, move on to the next. Take on one goal at a time. 4. Create a culture of health The overall goal should revolve around the notion of creating a culture of health and wellness within your workplace. In other words, making the healthiest choice the easiest choice. 12