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Sara on
Thursday, February 27th, 2014 with
Comments Off on 8 Nominations for an Award-Winning Oscar-Themed Office Meal Comments
Celebrate the Academy Awards with a themed office meal celebrating nominees!
Image Source: Flickr User Davidlohr Bueso
If your workplace is more inclined to host an Oscar pool than March Madness brackets, it may be worth planning a special Oscar-themed office meal for the Monday after the big event! Surprising employees with spontaneous celebrations is an effective way to reinforce appreciation and a culture that values camaraderie and teamwork; plus, staff members will likely chat about the night’s fashions, ridiculous acceptance speeches, and awards anyway. You might as well take the opportunity to stage an office-wide celebration! And even if some staff members aren’t big on pop culture, everyone will appreciate the break from the daily grind and a festive Oscar-themed meal.
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Sara on
Wednesday, February 26th, 2014 with
Comments Off on Admin Assistance: 12 Ways to Sneak Healthy Foods Into Office Meals & Meetings Comments
There’s a reason Mark Bittman, The New York Times columnist and food writer, relishes referring to the “Standard American Diet” by its acronym — the state of our collective nutrition habits is pretty sad. It’s time to seriously consider how to get healthy foods into our daily diet.
Most people eat no more than three servings of fruits and vegetables a day (if you don’t count white potatoes, which most nutritionists would prefer); the average American needing 2,000 calories a day should be eating nine. We’re supposed to eat about four servings of whole grains per day — but the average American eats less than one. And that average is dragged way down by the 40% of us who don’t eat whole grains… ever.
Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains should be represented at office meals – but that can be tricky.
Image source: Flickr User Shreveport-Bossier
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Posted by
Sara on
Tuesday, February 25th, 2014 with
2 Comments
Looking to improve productivity in the workplace? You might want to start by examining your employees’ coffee and lunch break habits — and encourage them to take more!
A growing body of research shows that taking breaks, especially in groups, can lead to higher overall productivity in the workplace. It may seem counterintuitive, but then again, productivity isn’t a cut-and-dried equation in most offices. Attention, focus, creativity — these very human, very complex factors are what can make the difference between a productive employee and a sluggish one. And behavioral scientists are suggesting (quite strongly) that regular breaks and social interaction can have a direct impact on how effectively employees can concentrate and work productively in today’s office settings.
Employees who take breaks together tend to be more productive. Image source: flickr user seanhagen
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Sara on
Monday, February 24th, 2014 with
Comments Off on Eating Healthy on Thai Takeout Day: 4 Tips for a Smarter Office Lunch Comments
Eating healthy at the office can be tricky, especially when your coworkers get together to order lunch from a favorite delivery place. While it’s almost always better for your health to have an actual meal than skipping lunch (or raiding the vending machine at 2 pm), it can be challenging to know what the healthiest options are when you’re talking take-out.
Not all Thai takeout is created equal when it comes to health. Image source: flickr user penguincakes
This is especially true when it comes to Thai food: while most entrees are packed with vegetables and lean meats, and may read as healthy options on the menu, they often come swimming creamy curries or sweet sauces that quickly undermine your good intentions. Choosing a healthy option requires a little bit of knowledge, a few rules of thumb, and, in some cases, careful modifications to what arrives in the delivery bag.
While everyone’s health goals are different — a coworker set on reducing calories may want to order a different office lunch than someone watching their sodium intake — here are four tips that will set you up for success on Thai takeout day at the office. These suggestions are based on dishes you’re likely to find on any Thai restaurant menu, but of course preparation methods and ingredient choices can vary widely!
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Sara on
Friday, February 21st, 2014 with
Comments Off on Surprising Starts: New Ideas for How to Serve the 9 Best Foods for Office Breakfasts Comments
The typical office breakfast — a box of donuts in the break room — isn’t doing employees or employers any favors. The fat and sugar will undermine any employee efforts at healthy eating and weight loss, along with causing a spike-and-crash blood sugar effect that will drain energy levels and productivity. If the donuts are there as a celebration or thank you gesture, guess what? Nothing says “I didn’t put much thought into this” like a box of donuts and a pile of napkins.
Think outside the donut box when it comes to office breakfasts.
Image source: Flickr User pattie74_99
Nothing against donuts — they’re delicious. But there are so many other better options for office breakfasts! Whether the goal is to communicate a message (be it “Job well done” or even “Happy birthday!”), improve employee health, or boost office productivity, ditch the donuts and choose a healthier, more exciting alternative.
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Posted by
Sara on
Thursday, February 20th, 2014 with
Comments Off on 4 Strategies Your Corporate Catering Can Learn From Facebook Comments
Move over, Google: Silicon Valley has a new king in the world of employee dining. Over the last few years, Facebook has invested heavily in their in-house corporate catering. They hired away one of Google’s top chefs, built a world-class cafeteria, and serve three meals daily (plus a 3pm snack) to their 800-plus employees. Want to take a cue from Facebook and bolster your own corporate catering strategy? Here are a few lessons to learn from the social media giant that can be applied in any office, whether your meal plan includes full catered lunches or a group takeout order.
Facebook’s aptly named Epic Cafe serves delicious meals to employees daily.
Image source: Flickr User Robert Scoble
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Sara on
Wednesday, February 19th, 2014 with
Comments Off on Boost Energy Levels at Office Lunches with These Top 5 Whole Grains Comments
One of the simplest ways to feel better all day at the office — more energized, happier, and more productive — is to eat whole grains. Study after study has shown that including whole grains at meals can help prevent the dreaded afternoon energy slump.
Don’t let the 3pm energy slump plague your office!
Image source: Flickr User Lorika13
What makes a whole grain whole? Essentially, its most nutritious parts — the germ, endosperm, and bran — haven’t been removed in processing (unlike what happens to the flour in white bread). Whole grain sources deliver more fiber, vitamins, and other nutrients, but their real attraction for the typical office worker is that they release energy more slowly than their highly-processed cousins. That means less of a blood sugar spike right after lunch, and less of a crash at 3pm. Whole grains are also easy to sneak into your office lunches. Here are a few easy ways to swap in whole grains and do your afternoon energy levels a big favor:
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Sara on
Tuesday, February 18th, 2014 with
Comments Off on Admin Assistance: Perfect Portion Planning for Office Parties Comments
When it comes to planning conferences and catered lunches, the question of how much food to order can be a vexing one to busy administrative assistants who suddenly find “event planner” added to their job descriptions. It’s no wonder that good old box lunches are a go-to solution: all the guesswork is removed from the equation!
Portion planning is key to successful holiday parties.
For more formal occasions or bigger office parties, however, sometimes it’s necessary to plan a more elaborate buffet or family-style food service without individual portions neatly included. For these occasions, consider these tips on how to plan portion sizes for office events:
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Sara on
Monday, February 17th, 2014 with
Comments Off on Mercury Concerns vs. Omega-3s: What Fish Are Best to Feature on the Office Catering Table? Comments
We’ve all heard it before: you should eat more fish! Fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and it’s part of the popular Mediterranean diet, and you should definitely eat less red meat. Fish is so healthy!
But, we’ve also heard this: children, pregnant women, and the elderly should be careful about eating fish. Many species of fish have been contaminated with unhealthy levels of mercury, and it can be toxic if you eat a large amount of seafood. Plus, some kinds of fish are being raised or caught in ways that are terrible for the environment. How can you stay informed about which fish to avoid and which is okay to consume?
Heart-healthy seafood should have a place on the office catering table.
Image source: flickr user Old Shoe Woman
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Sara on
Friday, February 14th, 2014 with
Comments Off on How Offering Overtime Meals Can Lessen Stress & Increase Team Spirit Comments
In many offices, long hours are unavoidable — at least some of the time. From looming deadlines to demanding clients to unexpected roadblocks, all sorts of challenges require employees to work weekends or late into the evenings. For employers, it can be tricky: even if expectations of working overtime were made clear upon hiring, how do you keep workers productive and happy during these high-stress periods?
Fight stress and fatigue at the office with thoughtful overtime meals.
Image source: flickr user fabbio
One solution that will help both the physical and psychological challenges of working long hours is to feed employees overtime meals. Providing overtime meals (usually weekend meals or dinners) accomplishes a few goals: workers are supplied with sustainable energy sources to physically keep them going and able to focus, as well as receiving the message that their extra efforts are appreciated. That’s why it’s important to serve overtime meals that are a little more special or noteworthy than the typical box lunch: if you’re asking employees to go above and beyond in their work habits, shouldn’t you return the favor when it comes to the meals served during overtime hours?
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