Healthy eating in the workplace

The workplace environment is one of the main influences for healthy eating at work. This includes foods served at meetings or events, vending machines, cafeterias, fundraising, or foods left in common areas like the lunchroom, desks and waiting areas. Having an environment that supports individuals to eat well at work benefits everyone.

Promoting healthy eating and supporting employees to make healthier choices is not just good for them, it is good for business. When employees eat well, they feel better, have increased energy and are more productive. The foods we eat not only impact our physical health, but also influence our mood and concentration.

The Creating a Healthy Workplace Nutrition Environment toolkit helps both employers and employees create a healthy eating environment in the workplace. It offers resources and tools to help with:

Getting buy in

To build a healthy workplace nutrition environment seek management and employee support.
Establish a working group and present the benefits of a healthy workplace nutrition environment to the employer.
Raise awareness and provide employees with information about the benefits of making healthy choices.

Building knowledge and skills

Increased nutrition knowledge and strategies can give employees confidence to make informed decisions about the food they eat.
Skill building activities help teach employees about growing, selecting, preparing and storing food.
Mobile apps, workplace challenges and contests can promote healthy behaviours.

Creating a supportive environment

Supportive environments can strengthen and improve employees’ healthy practices.
The physical environment can support employees to bring their own food and beverages. This could include:
- Kitchenettes with refrigerator, microwaves and clean eating areas.
- Healthy foods to purchase in vending machines and cafeterias.
The social environment can also influence food behaviours and employee wellness. This could include:
- Avoid using food as an incentive, reward or fundraiser.
- Portray individuals of all body sizes, avoid focusing on weight and address weight bias.

Creating workplace food and nutrition policies and guidelines

Policies and guidelines set clear expectations for employees and employers, which can consistently provide a healthier workplace nutrition environment. Having a health-promoting policy that creates a supportive environment can help employees improve and sustain healthy practices throughout the workday. It also demonstrates a commitment by the employer to support the health of employees.

For more information and tips to support healthy eating in your workplace, check out these websites:
Healthy eating at work - Government of Canada
Workplace Wellness - Dietitians of Canada
Videos from UnlockFood.ca - Dietitians of Canada
Healthy eating at work - Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

Shift Work

Work that is outside of normal daylight hours, may affect eating habits. Nutrition Tips for Shift Workers offers strategies on eating well on a shift work schedule.

Weight Bias in the Workplace

Weight bias refers to the beliefs, assumptions and judgments towards individuals based on their weight, shape, or size. Weight bias is a result of our conscious and unconscious thoughts, feelings and attitudes. People in larger bodies are often negatively affected and experience stigma and discrimination. It can result in poor self-esteem, depression and anxiety, or suicidal thoughts. It can be a source of negative stress in the workplace that can be damaging to employees. Reducing weight bias can contribute to promoting health equity, mental health, and improved wellbeing for everyone.
For further information, check out Ontario Dietitians in Public Health Addressing Weight Bias: A Call to Action