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A toolkit designed to help employers create and implement healthy, on-site dining programs, has been developed by the National Business Group on Health, which represents more than 240 large employers and Sodexho USA, a food service and facilities management provider.

The toolkit follows several months of research into how employers can provide a healthy dining environment and educate workers on the importance of pursuing and maintaining healthy eating habits.

Millions of U.S. workers eat at least one meal at their company’s cafeteria or dining facility, where food choices often range from healthy salad bars to not-so-healthy snacks, entrees and meals.

The toolkit, "Promoting Healthy Weight through Healthy Dining at Work," is the latest in a series of initiatives led by the Business Group’s Institute on the Costs and Health Effects of Obesity. The effort was begun in 2003 to find solutions for employers to battle obesity in the workplace. Sodexho is a founding board member of the Institute.

The toolkit has four major components:

• Cafeteria, Vending and Catering Assessments that enable employers to determine whether they are now offering appropriately healthful options to their employees.

• Consumer Brochures which employers can post or distribute offering tips on how to eat healthy meals not only at work, but also at home and on the road. The brochures include tips on how to navigate the various food stations in the company cafeteria and make healthy decisions, as well as helpful hints on understanding cooking terms and techniques and deciding on portion sizes.

• Training Guide to help corporate food service managers educate cafeteria workers about the basics of nutrition and portion control.

• Sample RFP and Contract Negotiation Guidelines to help corporate managers review their food service providers’ ability to create and maintain a healthy options dining facility, and ensure that the contract supports and promotes corporate goals.

Fighting Obesity In The Company Cafeteria

"Obesity continues to be a major challenge and looming crisis in this country and one that requires lots of parties to find solutions together," said Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health. "With workers spending so many hours on their job each week, the company cafeteria can truly be a great benefit."

Darling said it is critically important that workers understand the importance of eating healthy foods and, "more importantly, that companies create a healthy dining environment and offer tasty, nutritious affordable food choices. That’s one of the main reasons we partnered with Sodexho and created this innovative toolkit for employers."

The ultimate goal for employers is to operate a health promoting dining facility that encourages employees to consume healthy foods at work, she said. As the food service provider to more than 1,600 dining facilities across corporate America, we feel strongly about this issue.

"That’s why we’re sharing the expertise gained in developing our Your Health Your Way_ (www.yourhealthyourwayonline.com) wellness program in an effort to promote wellness throughout the industry," said Michael Norris, market president and COO of Sodexho USA.

"With this toolkit, we are able to work directly with employers to create an environment that improves employee health," Norris said. "This requires several steps including designing a facility, offering educational programs and incentives and training staff properly. Employees value this type of program as a significant benefit of working for the employer."

"When companies are able to educate and encourage workers to eat healthy meals and snacks at work, at home and on the road, it’s a win-win situation for everyone," said LuAnn Heinen, director of the Institute on the Costs and Health Effects of Obesity.

Addresses: National Business Group on Health, 50 F St. NW, Suite 600, Washington DC 20001; (202) 628-9320, www.businessgrouphealth.org. Sodexho USA, 9801 Washingtonian Blvd., Gaithersburg, MD 20878; (800) 763-3946, www.sodexhousa.com.