Posted by
Amelia K. on
Wednesday, October 8th, 2014 with
2 Comments
We get it: ordering the traditional food delivery sides like chips and french fries is an easy way to round out your midday meal. But since they’re typically fried in oil, you’ll often find yourself feeling pretty greasy — and hungry — by the middle of the afternoon. That’s because chips and french fries are packed with empty calories. Thus, they don’t have the staying power you need to make it through the rest of your day without additional snacks.
Choosing healthier options that contain more fiber and vitamins — like veggies — can help you to eliminate that afternoon slump, be more productive for the second half of your day and combat the afternoon munchies. Not only that, choosing healthier food options can help boost your immune system, reducing your risk of catching common illnesses like a cold or the flu. And this means you can use your days off for the things you really want to do — like taking that fantastic beach vacation this winter.
Choosing an option like veggies and hummus as your lunch side can help you stay full and more productive all afternoon long.
Image source: Flickr user Don Nunn
To help you find great tasty options that pack a healthful punch, we’ve pulled together some of our favorite healthy sides that will keep your mind refreshed and your taste buds happy.
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Posted by
Amelia K. on
Monday, October 6th, 2014 with
6 Comments
Sub sandwiches are one of the easiest – and favorite – lunches of office workers across the country. And while they’re often billed as being one of the more healthy lunch choices on the market, that’s not always true. In fact, many of the specialty sandwiches touted by these restaurants contain upwards of 900 calories! Numbers like those can certainly prevent you from reaching your dietary goals on a daily basis – and based on the ingredients, can also make you sluggish and tired for the rest of the afternoon.
Eating a nutritious, filling lunch isn’t just hype: it’s a great way to meet your daily health needs, keep you energized for the afternoon and make you more productive. So when you’re choosing a sub sandwich as your midday meal choice, how can you ensure that you’re not just filling up on empty calories, but actually consuming the right kinds of foods that will help you get through the afternoon? Here are four ways to change up your sandwich so that you’re eating healthier and feeling better about your meal choices all day long.
Choosing half the cheese on your vegetarian sub sandwich can help make your lunch even healthier.
Photo Credit: Flickr user ninacoco
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Posted by
Amelia K. on
Friday, October 3rd, 2014 with
Comments Off on Why a Business Mentoring Program over the Lunch Hour Can Be Great for Staff Development Comments
When it comes to workplace wellness, many office employees desire more learning opportunities that are available over the lunch hour. And for companies that are interested in creating a culture that fosters staff development and wellness, starting a mentorship program during that noon hour can be a great fit.
Mentorship programs go one step beyond a regular lunch and learn: they offer employees the chance to learn more about their jobs, the company for which they work, and the chance to develop more skills to do their jobs better. It also gives them a trusted resource within the company who can act as a sounding board for how to solve problems, hold them accountable for reaching goals, and cheer them on when they reach accomplishments.
Bringing a business mentoring program to your company can improve staff morale and retention rates.
Image source: Flickr user Eileen M. Kane
The companies that are adding business mentoring programs as part of a workplace wellness program are seeing great results. Not only are employees who participate more engaged, they’re seeing higher retention rates and larger skills development. If your interest has been piqued about adding a program like this to your company, we have some great best practices to help make your series more successful.
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Posted by
Amelia K. on
Wednesday, October 1st, 2014 with
Comments Off on The Sweeter Side of Office Meals: Four of the Best Apple Dishes, Just in Time for Fall Comments
It’s officially fall, which means that it’s also apple season! And if you’re looking for a sweet treat to top off one of your lunchtime meals this week – or if you want to find a savory dish that includes this festive fall fruit – you’re not alone. This is the time of year Americans across the country are getting their apple fix. And it’s a great, healthy way for everyone to experience the sweeter side of life!
Not only are apples a delicious and relatively low cost food choice, they have numerous health benefits. Eating apples regularly can help you avoid major diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and certain types of cancer. They can help reduce your risk of developing diabetes, improve your heart health, and avoid irritable bowel syndrome. And they can even help you maintain a healthier weight and get whiter teeth! For many of us, that’s cause enough to start eating more of this antioxidant-rich fruit.
An apple and walnut salad is a delicious, healthy way to incorporate apples into your lunch!
Image source: Flickr user Jemimus
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Posted by
Amelia K. on
Monday, September 29th, 2014 with
Comments Off on Bring National Chicken Month to a Close with 5 Lunch Ideas for Healthier Wings Comments
September is just winding down, but don’t worry, there’s still time for you to celebrate National Chicken Month! While you might not have realized that this was the month to celebrate all meals made with chicken, we bet you’ve already had a fair share of poultry in the last 30 days. For the first time in 100 years, chicken is more popular than beef in America. And while this food trend is partially attributable to the higher cost of red meat these days, it’s also due to an increase in health consciousness around the United States.
Eating more chicken has some pretty awesome health benefits. Not only is chicken high in protein (one four ounce breast has over 35 grams!), it’s also much lower in cholesterol and saturated fat than it’s red meat counterparts — meaning chicken is much better for your heart health than steak or a burger. And this means it’s definitely okay to eat more of that all time American favorite: chicken wings!
Grilled chicken wings are a great way to cut down on the fat while still enjoying this American favorite.
Photo Credit: Flickr user avlxyz
But many chicken wings are battered and fried – so how can you still get a tasty wing fix for your lunch without wasting half your calories for the day? Here are five ideas to get you started.
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Posted by
Amelia K. on
Friday, September 26th, 2014 with
4 Comments
A recent popular food trend is Meatless Monday. You may have heard of this craze – it involves completely removing meat from your diet one day a week (although some seafood is okay to eat). If you’re not overly familiar with the concept, it might seem a little strange to take an entire food group off the table for part of the week – but this idea has a lot of healthy facts to back it up.
Eating less meat can help reduce your risk of preventable conditions like heart disease, certain types of cancer, stroke, and diabetes. Plus, studies have shown that people who eat more greens and whole grains – and less meat – generally have a lower body weight. Meaning reducing your meat intake, even just one day per week, can help reduce your risk of obesity. But with all that being said, finding a lunchtime meal that’s quick and easy – while still being nutritious – that sticks with the Meatless Monday requirements can sometimes end up in something a little bland.
Choosing shrimp spring rolls is a great way to follow the Meatless Monday guidelines while still packing protein in your lunch.
Photo Credit: Flickr user chevre intrigant
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Posted by
Amelia K. on
Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 with
Comments Off on Lunchtime Wellness Programs: Four Steps to Help Make an Exercise Series Successful Comments
With the explosion of workplace wellness programs, more offices than ever are beginning to offer a once or twice-weekly lunchtime exercise option for interested employees. Many companies are quickly learning that for busy professionals to actually have time to work out, they need to do it either before work or during their lunch hour. And offering a lunchtime wellness series can have astounding results. Employees who exercise over their lunch hour – even if it’s just a quick thirty-minute power walk – are more energized. Their work days are more productive, they’re less stressed, and are in a better mood. And best of all, they’re less likely to get sick – which is a great benefit to the companies for which they work.
But offering a lunchtime workout series on its own isn’t going to maximize participation – which is obviously the goal of creating a healthier mindset within your company culture. So if you want to start a lunchtime exercise program at your company, where do you even start? We’ve compiled the four best practices to consider to get a successful program underway.
Offering low impact options is a great way to get more people involved.
Photo Credit: Flickr user sazztastical
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Posted by
Amelia K. on
Monday, September 22nd, 2014 with
12 Comments
Over the past several years, businesses have been focused on traditional forms of workplace wellness and creating office environments that speak to environmental awareness. But an evolution is occurring – companies are becoming more focused on helping their employees become more productive, collaborative, and creative. And they’re making it happen by designing spaces to encourage all of this. This type of company culture does more than just increase collaboration: it boosts employee morale, staff productivity, and employee engagement.
Need more proof that this strategy is effective? Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple, was a huge advocate of designing a building around encouraging collaboration for employees. Jobs claimed that, “If a building doesn’t encourage this, you’ll lose a lot of innovation and the magic that’s sparked by serendipity.” And many other companies are following that same advice – successful businesses like Pixar and Google have built their spaces around sparking creativity where you’d least expect it.
Allowing employees to get creative at their desks fosters a company culture of innovation.
Photo Credit: Flickr user C Jill Reed
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Posted by
Amelia K. on
Friday, September 19th, 2014 with
6 Comments
Think about your average workday: it’s probably packed with meetings, deadlines, conference calls, and more. Sometimes – let’s face it, all the time – it can seem like a major chore to figure out what to have for lunch. This can be due to a variety of reasons – maybe you’re tired of the choices in your area. Perhaps you’re too busy to even leave the office. And sometimes, you just can’t think of anything that sounds all that tasty.
For all of these reasons and more, we offer our virtual cafeteria service for busy offices like yours. Not only does this service allow everyone in the office to get a delicious meal, the food is delivered straight to your business – which saves everyone the time and hassle of running around town over the lunch hour. So how could our virtual cafeteria service help you increase productivity and give your staff access to healthier meal time options? Read on to find out.
Our virtual cafeteria service can help your employees eat healthier – right from their desks!
Photo Credit: Flickr user miheco
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Posted by
Amelia K. on
Wednesday, September 17th, 2014 with
Comments Off on September is Better Breakfast Month: Food Delivery Ideas to Start Your Day on the Right Foot Comments
If you’ve been looking for the nudge towards eating a better breakfast, then your inspiration has arrived: September is Better Breakfast Month- also known as the time of year to perfect your breakfast routine. When you’re busy in the morning, it can seem like no big deal to skip breakfast. After all, you could just eat a bigger lunch to make up for the missed meal, right? But experts recommend avoiding missing breakfast at all costs – it can actually have serious implications, not just the rest of your day, but your overall health!
Eating breakfast helps give your metabolism a boost – which you probably already knew. But did you also know that in several studies of people trying to lose weight, those who ate a morning meal were able to do this more easily – and actually maintain their weight better than those who skipped out on breakfast? Eating the right kind of breakfast can also help you focus better and maintain your energy and focus throughout the day. And with how we all spend so much time on the go, a little extra energy is good for everyone.
A breakfast burrito – with a whole grain tortilla and black beans – is a great way to start your day with lots of protein and fiber.
Photo Credit: Flickr user jeffreyw
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