CATERING


The tick box mentality to nutrition means we are taking a one-size fits all, data driven approach, without proper thought and analysis about the


impact of the food being


provided. Demands for the same old healthy option, initiatives to reduce salt and calorie counts on menus are more likely to make people scared of eating and drinking, not in tune with what they need. Likewise, the idea of having data entry staff sit behind a desk and input the values of food into a system only gives an accurate figure if exactly the right ingredients are input, if the chef follows the recipe exactly, and if the employee serving it provides exactly the right portion to the customer.


Let’s say all this goes according to plan, where does that leave the wellbeing of the catering staff, who are so often forced to serve what they’ve been told, impacting their creativity? How can we say we provide a healthy option or a calorie controlled menu, but at the detriment of our own staff’s development and wellbeing? And what about those data entry staff and their wellbeing and ability to truly understand food and ensure the right product is being entered?


Does your FM tender document have the bog standard: “do you provide a healthy option as a menu item?” This depends on what you class as healthy. If I spend two hours at the gym every day, my idea of healthy will be different to my colleague who doesn’t exercise and seldom leaves their desk. Consequently, what my body needs in terms of nutrition will be different too.


How many times are healthy options advertised on the high street? I couldn’t tell you the last time I walked into a restaurant and saw ‘healthy option’ on the menu so why is it different at work? Why don’t we just give everyone good, wholesome food that is nutritious and good to eat?


Wellbeing has been and will continue to be a buzz word for years to come. Corporates are starting


www.tomorrowsfm.com


to invest in their staff wellbeing because it’s scientifically proven to drive productivity and increase profitability. From mindfulness, sleep pods, on-site gyms to emotional wellbeing programmes, the solutions are endless. Some organisations are running their own learning and development programmes to advance these ideas within their employee base.


With all of this happening though, what’s happened to food in the workplace? In many cases, disappointingly it’s still the same, three hot mains, two soups, one vegetarian, a hot dessert and a fried breakfast. Why haven’t we kept up with the rest? The answer is because of a fixation on short term cost – not a focus on the value of food and nutrition it provides.


Food can do so much more than it does right now in the workplace. We spend more time at work now than ever before, where we consume around a third of our daily energy requirements, sometimes more. This surely means it’s the perfect platform to engage with employees on wellbeing, involving food, drink and being active. Nutrition should be an integral element of a workplace strategy, not just a tick box exercise in a procurement process.


Reducing the capacity to prepare fresh food will affect quality and therefore its nutritional value, which goes against the wellbeing focus being pursued by so many employers right now. Nutrition has to be at the heart of food service in the workplace, but what’s the chance of food making a meaningful difference to the workplace if the food strategy is driven by the procurement process and costs, as opposed to health, wellbeing and nutrition? What’s more there’s not much point if the facilities don’t support it. Whether it is avocado and poached egg at breakfast or a protein and dried fruit based bar being available in a vending machine, wellbeing has to underpin the workplace strategy and it can with a collaborative attitude shared by caterers, FM teams and HR departments.


“WHY DON’T WE


JUST GIVE EVERYONE GOOD, WHOLESOME FOOD THAT IS


NUTRITIOUS AND GOOD TO EAT?”


The question to ask is this. If as an FM service provider you are delivering a food solution in the workplace that comes with a cheap price and a product with low nutritional quality: white bread, chips, pies, anything deep fried and from a freezer (in most cases) is it worth providing it all? If there is a provision for food at work just because it’s the right thing to do, then is it really? If you’re giving people food, give them decent, healthy food – or don’t bother. Food at work isn’t just about calories anymore or about saying you provide a healthy meal. It’s about the options available, the way in which they are cooked and served, and the space in which they are consumed. That is really what has an impact on one’s wellbeing. That’s proper nutrition.


www.gatherandgather.com TOMORROW’S FM | 33


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