Published: 28th November 2024
We are all aware of how distracting it can be when we are hungry and this definitely impacts on how productive any of us are capable of being. Despite how delicious some of it can be, food is essentially the fuel that we need to get through our daily tasks and so our nutrition can be incredibly important when it comes to both our well-being and our mood.
Here, we take a look at this impact and find out more about how nutrition can be used in the workplace to make people happier and more productive.
Food can impact on our mood in more than just removing the feelings of ‘hanger’. Any foods containing complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains like quinoa, oats and brown rice can help to give you sustained levels of energy throughout the day.
They are also responsible for stabilising blood sugar levels that can help avoid any unnecessary energy level fluctuations. In addition to this, fruits and vegetables are packed full of essential vitamins and minerals that can help to boost the mood.
In contrast, highly processed foods like sugary snacks and fried food can leave you feeling exhausted and irritable when you fall victim to the inevitable drop in blood sugar levels after the initial spike, and so these foods are responsible for leaving people feeling depleted.
It has also been found that foods which can help to regulate blood sugar levels are also responsible for helping to maintain a healthy mind and have a direct link to mental health.
It is important to remember that it is not just the food that we eat that can have an impact on our mood, as hydration is also very important. By staying hydrated it is possible to reduce feelings of things like stress, fatigue and irritation, and it can also aid concentration.
When employees are making better choices about their diet, then their overall health is likely to improve as a result. This can help to boost their mood as well as their self-confidence, and it can help to reduce the number of sick days that they need.
By thinking about nutrition, an employee can make a small impact on their life or undergo a complete lifestyle change. Both of these can be beneficial to body and mind, and they are likely to benefit from increased energy levels, better concentration and greater productivity at work.
Every employee is capable of making their own choices with regards to their nutrition, but an employer can help to impact this and support them in any nutritional goals that they might have. It is important to remember that employees who choose unhealthy foods tend to be 66% more likely to be less productive than their colleagues who are making healthier choices.
It can therefore be very important for an employer to find ways in which they can support employee nutrition.
Many simply do not have the space or budget for a staff canteen or certainly one that can cater for a wide range of different diets. This is why more and more workplaces are opting for vending machines that can offer healthy snacks instead of the traditional calorie laden options.
These refrigerated vending machines can now provide things like salads, yoghurts, fruit and even soup to help keep people on track and give them the best fuel to get them through the day in the most successful way.
As an employer, you can help to get your employees on the right track when it comes to their nutrition to help boost their own well-being and mood, as well as making work a healthier and more productive place to be.
At Cema Vending, we supply a range of vending machines which are suitable for commercial premises and can support employees with their nutritional requirements . Contact our team today on 01157 845 845 or email sales@cemavending.co.uk to find out more.
