Your employees are often bombarded by multiple challenges as the day progresses, and as their employer, you can support them by promoting health and wellbeing at work - starting with what they choose to eat from your pantry to fuel their minds and bodies.

But how do you go about rethinking what goes into your office pantry? We’ve curated a few tips to take stock of how you can satisfy your employees’ meals and snacking needs in a healthy way:

1. Declutter

Over time, the pantry may accumulate unwanted goods, so start with a decluttering session by picking out expired snacks and broken appliances for the trash. Once you have reduced the number of items in the pantry, you’ll be astounded at the sight of space freed up.

2. Poll your employee

Before filling the pantry with foods or snacks, send out a company-wide survey with some open-ended questions to understand your employees' food culture. Some may be vegetarian, prefer to have organic options, or are intolerant to certain ingredients. This kind of information will help you make informed choices.

3. Focus on real, whole foods

Obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and nutrient deficiency have all been linked to a diet high in refined and processed foods. Hence, it's critical to aim for a healthy, balanced diet that includes more real and whole foods and fewer processed foods. Replacing processed foods (cookies, ice cream, potato chips, doughnuts) with whole foods (unsalted nuts & seeds, fruits, vegetables, eggs, greek yogurt) provides the body with the nutrients required by all to sustain a healthy weight, mind, and wellbeing.

4. Display healthy snacks

It’s human to pick a convenient snack within reach. Therefore, the best way to keep your employees from eating junk food is putting less healthy choices in inconvenient places, while moving healthier foods to the front, at eye level or on the counter. For example, place a bowl of fruit at the pantry counter top and keep the cookies and chips in a closed cabinet or drawer. This helps your employees to grab food items that are nutritious, more filling, and help build healthy eating habits that last a lifetime.

5. Prepare combo snacks

Most prepackaged snacks often contain added sugars, salts, and saturated or trans fats, while being low in nutrients and high in calories, so do check nutrition labels before stocking them up. The ideal snack contains more than just one food group such as fruits, vegetables, protein, grains, and dairy to keep your employees full for longer and stabilize blood sugar levels, resulting in helping your employees keep cravings at bay. For example, have a few nuts (protein and fat) and fruits (carbohydrates), or try some whole-grain crackers (carbohydrate) with some peanut butter (protein and fat). These balanced snacks should be enjoyable, easy to prepare, filling, and nutritious.

6. Host healthy potluck

Organize monthly or quarterly healthy potlucks to encourage employees to eat healthy, home-cooked meals while promoting a culture of wellness in your company. By bringing in tasty, healthy foods, your employees get a chance to try new things and discover that they might like healthier foods more than they thought. At the same time, your employees get to bond with one another, strengthening friendships and meeting people they don’t usually interact with. 

Promoting a wide variety of healthy options in the pantry speaks volumes about how much you value your employees and their health. Very often, this raises their awareness of healthier options and increases their willingness to eat healthily. 

Now that you understand how you can support your employees in making positive choices. It's time to put some of these tips into action at your workplace. If you need help in improving your pantry, do consult our dietitian today for healthier snacks options and pantry organization tips! meal prep recipes and supermarket shopping tips!