A lot is written - including right here on this blog - about the importance of good nutrition for both general health and productivity. Employers and managers are often advised that providing healthy snacks for their employees can help them make healthier eating choices and increase productivity. A number of research studies and surveys have also found that many workers consider office provided food an excellent employee perk.
So maybe you should consider adding a snack station to your office in 2020, to take advantage of the benefits doing so offers and provide your employees with what they very well might see as a great perk. But what should that snack station actually consist of? Here are some pointers.
Fruit
Fruit offers a great way to help regulate blood sugar levels - and prevent that dreaded afternoon slump - and the shot of sweetness offered by most fruits will help employees resist the temptation to give in and eat something far less healthy, like a sugary, calorie laden candy bar.
As a snack station staple fruit is also relatively easy to serve. 'Grab and go' choices like apples, oranges, pears and bananas really don't require any special prep and will stay good in a fruit bowl for several days.
Hummus and Veggies
If you've yet to try it hummus is a tasty snack made from chick peas that is a lot healthier than standard cream based dips. When paired with great veggie choices like carrot sticks, celery stick or pepper slices hummus makes a tasty, healthy offering that everyone can enjoy.
Yogurt
If you have an office fridge, you can store a variety of yogurt options for your employees’ enjoyment. Yogurt, considered a 'superfood', is full of vitamins, minerals, and probiotics. It’s good for digestion, bone density, the immune system, and blood pressure. However, avoid offering yogurts with significant amounts of added sugar.
Trail mix
You can buy this in bulk or get it in individual portions for easy distribution. Trail mix might include dried fruit, various nuts, seeds, and even mini chocolate chips.
Healthy drinks
Unhealthy snacking isn’t the only problem: the stresses of the office might tempt employees to grab a can of sugary soda in the afternoon, especially if they don’t have other choices.
Besides ensuring employees have easy access to water, consider also including other beverage options like lemonade, iced tea, fruit juice, or sugarless carbonated choices like Ice. And coffee in the morning is always going to be an option many employees appreciate, especially as knowing there's good coffee at work will save them time and money at the local (pricey) coffee shop.