Healthy Eating Resources

Eating healthy at work helps employees feel better, stay productive, and support their overall well-being. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines for Americans show that good eating habits can prevent chronic diseases. Workplaces can make healthy choices easier by offering nutritious foods in cafeterias, vending machines, and at meetings or events. The resources below can help worksites create healthier food environments.

• Improve Workplace Cafeteria Options

Worksites can support healthy eating by offering better choices in their cafeterias.

Resources:

• The Food Service Guidelines for Federal Facilities explain how to plan healthier food options. Even though these guidelines were made for federal buildings, they can be used in many types of workplaces. The guidelines include:
• Food and Nutrition Standards;
• Facility Efficiency, Environmental Support, and Community Development Standards;
• Food Safety Standards; and
• Behavioral Design Standards.
• The Food Service Guidelines Checklist for Prepared Foods lists standards for food and nutrition in workplace cafeterias.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) resource, Put Guidelines in Organizational Policies and Food Vendor Contracts, explains how to include healthy food guidelines in workplace policies and food vendor contracts.
• Roadmap for Comprehensive Food Service Guidelines- best practices for using healthy food guidelines in worksites.
• Healthy Food Service Guidelines: an Impactful Strategy for Promoting Health in Institutions– a summary of research showing how healthier food options support employee health.
• Why Offer Healthier Options?- explains the business reasons for offering healthier foods.

• Create Healthier Vending Machines

Worksites can improve vending machine choices by offering healthier snacks and drinks.

Resources:

• The Food Service Guidelines Checklist for Packaged Snacks and Checklist for Beverages explain which products meet healthy standards.
• The CDC’s Food Service Guidelines Calculator for Packaged Snacks and Beverages helps determine which snacks and drinks meet these standards.
• The American Heart Association’s Healthy Food and Beverage Toolkit provides tips for improving vending machine options.
• The Behavioral Design Strategies for Vending Machine Operations resource gives ideas for how to arrange, price, and promote healthier foods.
• CSPI’s guide on the financial impact of healthy vending helps workplaces understand how healthy options can still be profitable.
• Making Change: Healthier Vending for Municipalities includes a guide and a model vending agreement that local governments can use.

• Offer Healthier Foods at Meetings and Events

Worksites can support healthy eating by offering nutritious foods and drinks at meetings, trainings, and conferences.

Resources:

• The American Heart Association’s Healthy Food and Beverage Toolkit provides sample menus and ideas for healthier meals, snacks, and beverages

• Promote Healthier Foods Across Workplace Settings

Worksites can encourage healthy choices in many different places, including cafeterias, vending machines, and break areas.

Resources:

• Behavioral Design Strategies from the CDC explain how to use placement, pricing, and promotion to help employees choose healthier foods.
• Helpful websites and organizations for developing healthy eating messages:
• RealFood.gov
• The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• Nutrition Source by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• American Heart Association
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Health Education Programs:
• Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes
• Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension