Wellness Forum

Increase Healthy Food Options for Employees

- Vending machines will offer a variety of snack foods. 30% of the items will be healthful alternatives that are low sugar, trans fat free, and low fat food options.

- Drink machines will provide fruit juices, as well as sugar-free and caffeine-free soda selections.

Offer Healthy Snacks: Work with vending companies to identify snacks that meet “healthy food” guidelines.

Offer Taste Testing's: Offer taste testing to identify the healthy vending snacks that employees are more likely to buy. This prevents healthy snacks from being thrown away because they are not sold. A taste testing also allows employees to have ownership of the program.

Include Healthy Food Choices in Vending Machines:

• Vending Machine and Beverage Standards (CA Fit Business Kit)

- Food choices that are low in fat will be offered at company meetings and functions.

- At functions that offer a selective menu or buffet, one or more healthful entrees, side dishes, or desserts will be served (or only healthful foods will be served).

- When a non-selective menu is served, healthful selections will be offered (or only healthful snacks will be offered).

- When high fat, sugar or sodium foods are served, food purchased with company funds must include a healthy alternative.

Offer Health Food at Meetings:

• Healthy Meeting Checklist (University of Hawaii at Manoa)
• Healthy Meeting Policies (CA Fit Business Kit)

- Decaffeinated coffee will be available as an alternative in the coffee area.

- Fresh fruit will be made available in the lunchroom.

- Reduced sugar or sugar-free snacks will be offered whenever sugar snacks are offered, defined as 25% less sugar than the reference food by the US Food and Drug Administration. Sugar-free products have less than 0.6 g of sugar per serving.

Offer Healthy Beverages in Cafeterias and Vending Machines:

• Beverage Standards (CA Fit Business Kit)

- Menus for dining rooms/cafeterias shall be consistent with the latest guidelines recommended by leading health organizations.

- Healthy menu items shall contain no more than 1/3 of the recommended daily nutrition of calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

- Healthy menu items will include an emphasis on fruits and vegetables.

Provide Food Samples: Have companies, nutritionists, cooking schools offer food demonstrations, cooking classes, healthy food samples. 

Offer Healthy Menu Items:

• Healthy Menu Guidelines

Highlight Healthy Foods: Identify heart-healthy snack idea in the cafeteria. Develop signs or placards distinguishing the healthy food options.

Buy Food Locally: Work with local farmers to deliver farm fresh food directly to your worksite. A simple way is through a CSA – Community Sponsored Agriculture Program to provide locally grown, seasonal, fruits and vegetables on a subscription basis (cost is typically $13-30 a box).

• Local Harvest provides information on farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area
• Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education provides additional information about sustainable agriculture.

Develop Programs that Require Employee Involvement:

• Develop a cookbook of employees’ low-fat recipes
• Exchange recipes
• Feature a healthy employee recipe periodically in the newsletter or bulletin board
• Recipe contests
• Home-grown fruit and vegetable exchanges