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When you ask employees about their major health concerns, healthy eating and disease prevention always seems to be at the top of the list. Nourishing food and good nutrition are vital to an employee's overall health and well-being. Since employees spend a large portion of their day at the workplace, and eat at least 1 meal or snack at work, employers can play a key role in promoting healthy eating.

Workplaces are an ideal setting for promoting healthy eating. They provide a variety of on-site opportunities to positively influence employee eating habits and the food choices available in the workplace.

There are many benefits to the workplace for offering a comprehensive program:

• Increased employee productivity and morale
• Healthier employees
• Reduced absenteeism, medical claims and disability costs
• Enhanced corporate image and reputation

Nutrition Works

Nutrition Works is a free healthy eating program available to workplaces in York Region. The program aims to promote the nutritional health of employees and to contribute to the reduction of nutrition-related chronic diseases and conditions such as cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

The Nutrition Works program was developed based on best practice research. Research shows an effective workplace program includes:

• A comprehensive approach with multiple strategies
• Activities targeting the employee and the nutrition environment in the workplace
• A partnership approach to planning and implementation (i.e., support and involvement at every employee level including senior management)
• A commitment to a longer-term, more intense program rather than 1 or 2 isolated activities

Building a Successful Comprehensive Nutrition Program in Your Workplace

Nutrition Works is a comprehensive healthy eating program that focuses on a variety of health promotion strategies and provides a number of activities to promote nutrition to employees and in the organization.

Health promotion strategies for a comprehensive nutrition workplace program include:

• Environmental Supports
• Policy and Guideline Development
• Education and Skill Building
• Raising Awareness

The primary focus of the Nutrition Works program is to create a supportive healthy workplace. We provide consultation and customized plans to assist employers in promoting a healthy nutrition environment, such as offering healthier food and beverage choices in the cafeteria, vending machines and at business meetings and functions.

The Nutrition Works Program Menu outlines the many activities available to the workplace.

If you are interested in the Nutrition Works program, please complete the Nutrition Works Screening Tool to learn what action steps are needed for a successful nutrition program and determine your workplace's eligibility for the program.

Workplaces are eligible for the Nutrition Works program if they commit to undertaking activities to create a supportive workplace environment.

A York Region Public Health Nutritionist will work with you to customize the Nutrition Works program to suit your unique workplace needs.

For additional information and websites on workplace health, visit the York Region Workplace Wellness website and also check out the Resources Section of this site.