Eat Smart Worksite Environments
Use the following resources to change the worksite environment to encourage employees at your worksite to eat healthy.
Eat Smart Snack Bar
If employees at your worksite are tired of vending machine candies, cookies and butter laden popcorn or if they don’t have access to quick snacks during their busy day at work, setting up an Eat Smart Snack Bar may be the solution to their needs. This can be as simple as putting out healthy snacks (with a box to collect money) in the break room or any other convenient location in your office. If your wellness program does not have funds, have employees donate money or snacks to get the snack bar started. By charging a small fee (50 to 75 cents) the snack bar will become self-perpetuating. It might also be helpful to designate one employee who sets up and locks up the snack bar at the end of each work day.
Eat Smart Break Room
Making sure that your worksite has a comfortable break room available for employees to store, prepare and eat their food safely can be a huge incentive to motivate employees to eat healthy. Simple things such as a microwave oven, refrigerator, toaster oven and a sink to wash dishes can be great resources for employees who wish to bring their own lunch. It is also helpful to provide water fountains or coolers in break room or hallways so that employees have easy access to fresh drinking water. The break room can be a more inviting place by putting up informational posters and/or setting up a literature rack with informational handouts.
Eat Smart Onsite Farmer’s Market
Fresh fruits and vegetables are great for healthy snacks or meals, but employees don't always have time to stop by a store during the week to keep fresh produce handy at home or work. Discuss with management about the possibility of establishing a bi-weekly or weekly onsite farmer’s market at your worksite. Be sure to choose a safe and walkable location near your worksite for the local farmers to bring in and sell their produce. Call 919-733-7125 or visit this link to find local farmer’s markets across North Carolina. Visit the Garden Market Toolkit site from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention for more information.
How to Become a Mother Friendly Workplace that Supports Breastfeeding
This resource provides suggestions and sample materials to support breastfeeding mothers in worksites.
