What is corporate nutrition and wellness?
Corporate nutrition and wellness refers to programmes, initiatives, and policies that promote healthy habits, physical activity, and good nutrition within a workplace setting. Corporate employees often face a variety of health challenges due to the demands and pressures of the workplace. High-stress levels, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, lack of sleep, mental health concerns, and a limited work-life balance are some common health challenges faced by them. Therefore, good nutrition and health practices are crucial for the employees and can help in increasing productivity, reducing absenteeism, reducing healthcare costs, and making employees happier and more content. Let’s take a look at the roadblocks and challenges faced by corporate employees in achieving optimal health and their solutions.
CHALLENGE #1
SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE: Low physical activity levels in the corporate sector is a growing concern as more and more people work in sedentary jobs that require sitting for extended periods. Many people find it difficult to balance work and personal life, leaving little time for physical activity. This can be exacerbated by long work hours and commuting times.
SOLUTION:
1. Increase your N.E.A.T(Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis): NEAT is a fancy term for the energy that we burn through our daily activities that are not intentional exercise, such as walking, standing, cleaning, and other daily movements. In other words, NEAT is the energy that we expend during our everyday activities that are not related to structured exercise or sports. By incorporating more NEAT into our daily lives, we can increase our overall calorie expenditure and improve our health. Strategies to increase N.E.A.T:
- Walking every time you are on a call
- Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
- Taking regular breaks to stand or move around throughout the day
- Getting coffee by yourself instead of asking someone else to do it
- Going for a 15-minute stroll during a lunch break can be a good idea to increase the steps
- If the office is on the first-fourth floors, try taking the stairs instead of the elevator
- Keep a smartwatch to track the number of your steps
2. Look for facilities near the workplace: Try to hit the gym on the way home instead of reaching home and heading out again. As per research, there are more chances of one being consistent with the workout if this pattern is followed. Prior planning such as preparing the gym bag the night before and carrying a pre-workout snack while leaving for work will also help with adherence.
CHALLENGE #2
FREQUENT MEETINGS AND EVENTS: Organisations have regular meetings and seminars. These meetings and seminars aregenerally followed by lunch. Also, a lot of snacks/food is served during the seminar/meeting which makes it difficult to maintain calorie balance.
SOLUTION:
1. Make meetings and celebrations healthy events: Organisations should use this opportunity to serve healthy food. Instead of laying down biscuits and samosas, lay down roasted makhanas, nuts and dried fruits. If the event is being catered, request healthy, lower-calorie selections from the menu. Include whole-grain products, protein-rich foods, salads, etc. Instead of serving the regular carbonated drinks include diet colas/nimbu pani/buttermilk.
2. Choose the healthier alternatives: In a buffet spread, build your plate by adding a generous helping of vegetable salad, a portion of yoghurt, a portion of protein- eggs, meat, cottage cheese, lentils and pulses and a small portion of carbohydrates such as rice, roti, pasta and noodles.
CHALLENGE #3
ORDER-IN LUNCHES/SNACKS: Mornings are generally rushed for most people. Lunch is the meal they usually eat at work. Due to a lack of time and preparation skills, most people end up ordering food.
SOLUTION:
1. Planning and meal preparation: Planning is the key to success. It leaves less room for ambiguity. Use Sundays/holidays to anticipate what the coming week would be like and prepare a menu, order groceries and do meal prep to support the same.
Strategies for meal preparation in advance:
- Chop and boil enough vegetables such as carrots and French beans for a week and freeze them. Make tiny packets for one-time or two-time use.
- Soak and boil all lentils and pulses for two weeks- chhola, rajma, black dal. Freeze them in sealed packets or zip lock packets
- Boil seviyan (rice noodles), and pasta (whole wheat) in advance and freeze
- Prepare a tomato-based curry that can be used for most vegetables/pasta (boil the tomatoes and make a puree, freeze it)
- Prepare batters like dal chilla, dosa/idli, and pancakes for the entire week and refrigerate
- Prepare a coriander chutney that will go with chillas, savoury pancakes, tikkis, and sandwiches
- Make chenna/paneer for the entire week and refrigerate. Paneer can be added to pulaos, sandwiches, vegetable curry, stuffed and rolled in parathas With the pre-prepared lunch menu and the ingredients stocked well in advance, making and carrying lunch from home becomes easier and doable.
2. Ordering-in: If you still choose to order in, try to follow these guidelines:
- Don’t wait until you’re famished to order food. There are more chances of over-ordering hyper-palatable and calorie-dense foods, which will encourage overeating
- Choose whole grains over refined grains such as whole wheat tandoori rotis instead of butter naan
- Avoid options that have the terms: “makhani”, “butter masala”, “malai”, “creamed”, “shahi” or “pepper fry”. Stick to lighter options such as tandoori, kebabs, and baked or grilled options
- Eat the amount you would eat at home. The portion sizes are usually large at restaurants and can be easily shared between two-three people.
- Add a portion of vegetables or salads along with your meals.
- Keep a list of restaurants/cafes/takeaways that serve healthy food.
- While ordering desserts, look for sorbets, frozen yoghurts or flavoured yoghurts
CHALLENGE #4
POOR GUT HEALTH, UNSTABLE GLUCOSE LEVELS AND FATIGUE:
Most corporate employees suffer from acidity, gas and migraines due to erratic eating hours and poor food choices.
SOLUTIONS:
- Don’t start your day with something greasy or oily. Incorporate easy and quick breakfast options such as omelettes or vegetable sandwiches
- Carry snacking options for yourself. Instead of keeping biscuits on your desk, try to carry fruits, nuts, foxnuts, muri, roasted chidwa, roasted chana and snacks
- Stay hydrated. Make sure you drink enough water throughout the day and don’t replace it with tea or coffee
- Eat your meals mindfully and slowly
- Eat consistently throughout the day. Avoid overeating and then going without food for prolonged hours
Role of the organisations in facilitating a healthy work environment: Corporate organisations can play a crucial role in facilitating a healthy environment for their employees by implementing a range of measures that prioritise their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Corporate organisations can create a culture of wellness by providing employees with access to wellness programmes and resources.
- Corporate wellness programmes can take many forms, including:
- On-site gyms or fitness classes
- Healthy food options in company cafeterias or vending machines
- Health screenings and assessments
- Health coaching and counselling
- Stress management programmes
- Smoking cessation programmes
To sum it up, corporate nutrition and wellness programmes can have a significant impact on employee health and well-being, as well as on overall business success. Creating an effective and sustainable programme requires careful planning, clear goals, and ongoing evaluation and improvement. Companies that prioritise employee health and wellness will reap the rewards of a healthy, engaged, and productive workforce.
Neha Patodia and Nupur Arya
Nutrimend is a diet consultancy clinic founded by Neha Patodia and Nupur Arya in 2015. They coach people on how to eat right so that they feel confident in their bodies and achieve their desired goals.