How Lunch and Learns Can Be a Delicious Part of Workplace Wellness
Posted by Sara on Wednesday, August 27th, 2014 with 6 Comments
Workplace wellness isn’t just a buzzword, or a six billion dollar industry: for companies with the most effective wellness programs, it’s a way of life at the workplace. And while there are many complex factors that go into making a wellness program successful, most experts agree that the keys include awareness, engagement, and accessibility. Employees need to know about the program, feel personally invested, and be able to easily participate.
One very easy, very hands-on way to make wellness more visible and accessible in your office? Lunch and learns. Bringing coworkers together, providing a healthy meal, and delivering engaging content about employee wellness can really drive home the message of making health a priority. Lunch and learns accomplish exactly what their name suggests: they combine food and knowledge, and when done in a wellness-themed way, can have a powerful impact. After all, a lesson about how whole grains are a better choice than refined flour will be much more likely to stick if you can make an immediate association with the delicious quinoa salad on your plate.
A wellness-themed lunch and learn is an opportunity for hands-on participation!
Image source: Flickr user blucier
However, while bringing wellness into the workplace via lunch and learns is easy, they shouldn’t be mandatory; after all, you’re asking employees to spend their lunch break on the occasion. That’s why providing quality, wholesome meals is part of the equation: the lunch part of the lunch and learn should be tempting enough to draw in a crowd.
Need some inspiration on exactly how to stage a lunch and learn in your office? We’ve got you covered!
Topics (the more specific, the better):
- How eating more plant-based foods and less red meat can reduce risk of disease
- The immediate effects of quitting smoking
- How 30 minutes of exercise per day can make a big impact – even if it’s just walking
- How mindfulness can combat stress in the workplace
- The health advantages of celebrating Meatless Monday
- Specific ways to order healthier takeout and restaurant meals
Ways to share knowledge:
- Ask for passionate employees to prepare a 30-minute talk on a wellness-related topic
- Inquire with a local college or university about graduate students willing to deliver a guest lecture
- Check with your insurance provider – they may provide wellness slideshows or even in-person info sessions
- Keep it very simple by screening health and nutrition-themed TED talks
- Watch a health and nutrition documentary in 30-minute segments
And don’t forget the food! Whether you plan to provide company catering or simply order a big spread of healthy takeout, the lunch part of the equation should meet two objectives: be attractive enough to draw employees to the meeting, and be nutritious and high-quality to encourage continued healthy eating habits for the rest of the week. Waiter.com can help ensure your lunches are both wholesome and healthy, and never get boring! With a wide range of menus, online ordering, and prompt delivery, providing healthy lunches for the office will be a breeze. And if you’d like to make it a regular routine, Waiter.com’s Virtual Cafeteria Service ensures every employee will receive a meal they’ll love every week.
When it comes to feeding employees and coworkers, make your company's food program really count! If your workplace dining plan needs to take it up a notch — or if you don't have one at all — Waiter.com is here to help. From Virtual Cafeteria Service to diverse menus to local takeout & delivery, Waiter.com offers customizable dining solutions for every business and budget. Contact us today to get started!
Looks like a good idea. Employees are usually happy to get a free lunch, plus there’s no negative effect on productivity when the time used is a normal break time.
Thanks Brian – free lunches make any message go down easier, you’re right. And since research has shown that taking time away from your desk is actually beneficial for productivity (as opposed to working through lunch altogether), there shouldn’t be any downside in terms of disrupting the workday!
My office actually did something like this and everyone seemed receptive to it. Then afterwards, I heard several of the, lets just say ‘not in the best of shape’, employees complaining how “ideas were being forced on them” and whatnot. I thought the presentation and execution was well done so I was surprised to hear this kind of resistance. So I think you are right in saying not to make it mandatory. You never really know who might be opposed to something that ultimately would benefit them. But yeah, this is a great idea for any workplace if done correctly!
Being respectful of people’s time and views is definitely key! Like Abe Lincoln said (roughly), you can never please everyone – so don’t force it!
As an employee, I cherish the free time during my lunch hour, but I would definitely attend a lunch and learn once or twice a month if I knew I was getting a quality, free meal out of it.
You’re right Nick – you definitely have to offer something that will make it enticing for employees!