MARCH is NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH
MARCH is NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH and we are looking Beyond the Table when we think about our health and the environment. Choices we make daily, including what we’re going to eat and drink, can make a big difference — both now and in the future. You can find out more at https://www.eatright.org/about-national-nutrition-month.
Nutrition impacts you and your team and plays a role in maintaining workplace wellbeing. There are many well-known benefits of healthy eating like reducing the risk of illness, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Did you know that eating well also offers immediate benefits during your workday?
They include:
- Improved productivity
- Increased energy
- Healthier immune system
- Better sleep
- Improved mental health
You can make healthy eating during the workday fun with workplace nutritional challenges. Consider planning a healthy eating day or week, or include one of the following as part of a team building exercise:
1. Hydration challenge – CommonHealth’s water drinking challenge (below)
Even mild dehydration can make completing tasks that require attention to detail more difficult. Encourage your team to participate in CommonHealth’s water drinking challenge. The tracking calendar is attached, and you can start anytime. If your team completes the challenge, consider sharing your challenge and a picture with your Wellness Consultant. Your success stories could help other state employees make healthy choices!
2. Lunchtime potluck
Encourage your team members to make their favorite healthy lunch dish to share. Aim for including lots of fruit, vegetables, legumes, or wholegrains, and enjoy co-workers fellowship during lunch!
3. Healthy Bake Off
Add refreshments to your next scheduled office meeting by inviting your team to participate in a healthy office bake off. You and your team can include healthy baked refreshments to share. You can start or end your meeting with bake off samples and vote on the best ones.
4. Snack Challenge – CommonHealth’s Snack Attack Challenge (below)
Challenge your team to make a snack that is yummy but healthy and easy to make. You can make up teams or ask individual employees to bring a healthy snack to share. Your team members will vote for overall best snack. Allow your employees to get creative with ideas for the freshest ingredients, healthiest snack, and/or easiest to make. A CommonHealth snack attack chart and instructions are attached to get you started.
Continue to celebrate National Nutrition Month and share the healthy eating tips link here: Healthy Eating Tips provided by the National Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.