Corporate Cafeterias Dish Up Healthy Fare
Clean living in cubicles pitched by local businesses
At the cafeteria of the Unum building in Worcester, you can buy a slice of pizza or a hamburger. But you may get a bit of a guilt trip with your grease.
There are posters of gorgeous tomatoes and asparagus above the food stations, and signs scattered around the cafeteria offer warnings about trans fats, and shout about healthy carbohydrates and the benefits of vitamin A. And the cafeteria does offer healthier options: a large chunk of the space is filled with a salad bar, and fresh fruit and low-fat wraps are on offer.
With health insurance costs skyrocketing and employee illness a perennial drain on corporate resources, the Tennessee-based group disability insurer is just one of many companies that see their cafeterias as an important tool for keeping workers both happy and healthy.
At Unum Group corporate officials work closely with their food-service contractor, Aramark, in promoting health and fitness. Ben Kahn, the company's associate vice president of health and insurance programs, said the company recently organized a football-themed "Fourth Quarter Fitness" program with activities built around exercise and healthy eating. Aramark helped the company put on a "tailgate party" with health-conscious options.
In running corporate cafeterias, Aramark, Compass and other food service companies benefit from their experience running school cafeterias. With a growing focus on childhood obesity at many schools, the companies have developed programs like Compass's "Balanced Choices" and Aramark's "Healthy Options." Cafeterias highlight items that meet the program criteria, like whole-grain breads, low-fat entrees and fresh vegetables. They also display nutritional labeling prominently.
Last year, Unum introduced a new cafeteria set-up with a large salad bar and soup stations. But even with those additions, Kahn notes that it's easy for employees to eat poorly if they don't think about what options are good for them. So the company also gives workers access to dieticians, weight management plans and information about all sorts of health issues. And, just as importantly, Aramark markets the food well, placing a display of whole fruit in front of the checkout area, for example.
"The healthy items, they're not only healthy, but they look appealing," Kahn said.
Refined Tastes
Even with all the information companies are offering employee, there's no denying that food with little redeeming nutritional value still has its appeal. Pizza is a popular choice at Unum, and the Saint Vincent's lobby hosts a Dunkin' Donuts as well as the Spice Café.
But leaders of corporate nutrition programs say there is also a genuine demand for the healthy stuff. Gibney said more and more patients and staff at Saint Vincent have special diets and are looking for gluten-free or vegetarian options.
Of course, not all employers are able to devote time to considering the rising demand for vegan muffins or the best way to spread knowledge about the balance between calorie consumption and aerobic exercise. Kahn acknowledged that Unum is able to assign a number of employees to addressing those kinds of issues largely because it is a large institution with more than 11,000 employees companywide.
"We're in a position where we have the ability to make that investment," he said.
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