As Canadians, most of us are fortunate enough to enjoy three meals a day. Where, how and when we eat them is often the differing factor. When you consider that 15 million Canadians spend one-half of their waking hours at work, chances are we eat at least one of those meals per day at work and depending upon our schedule it can be up to 3 meals per day. So it stands to reason that our eating habits are greatly influenced by the workplace and the people we eat with.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, over half of Canadians carry excess weight and two-thirds of these are considered to be at a health risk. Obesity increases the risk of coronary heart disease, osteoarthritis and various cancers. It also increase the risk of back injuries which are a significant cost to the work industry as 35% of all Worker’s Compensation claims are related to back injuries.

Currently there has been a big focus on changing individual behaviour towards eating but little towards institutional changes. By establishing a healthy workplace environment, employers demonstrate a commitment to their employee’s health. In turn employers stand to gain an increase in productivity and morale, an enhanced ability to cope with stress, lower health care costs and reduced absenteeism

Snacks and meals in the workplace play an important role. In most cases, they are often used as a means to relieve current work pressures, opportunities to take breaks and as a social aspect of work. However the meals and snacks provided during meetings or work sponsored events, cafeterias and vending machines are often high in fat and sugar such as cookies, pastries and fried foods which can lead to sluggishness and contribute to an unhealthy weight gain.
Although it is important for employers to provide healthy eating options it is also beneficial for them to encourage a healthy lifestyle among their employees that can be followed through at home and become part of their family’s life. By providing opportunities for employees to learn and understand the basics of nutrition, food label reading, fat, cholesterol and salt intakes and fitness options, employers stand a greater success of having the employee take it on as a personal priority instead of it being viewed solely as a corporate priority.

Implementing a healthy eating campaign, which could include healthy food options and fitness programs, can work for workplaces of all different sizes and budgets. There are several food solutions that can be looked at and put into practice with minimal effort and expense.
Companies can look to form partnerships with local healthy vendors which would allow employees to benefit from programs such as loyalty food plans, employee health specials of the day and healthy food discounts.

Workplaces that currently provide a cafeteria can also employ meal or food vouchers and healthy eating discounts. A subsidy to meals in workplace cafeterias can also often cut down on time spent outside of the building.

Cafeteria workers should also be well versed in Canada’s Food Guide To Healthy Eating in order to properly prepare food and answer questions from employees.

Consider the environment for eating by providing comfortable, safe and clean conditions for employees to take their breaks and mealtimes instead of a quick and often unhealthy meal grabbed at a desk.

Ensure work schedules provide adequate time for eating.

Meeting organizers can ensure that snacks and meals provided mirror healthy eating options such as fresh fruit, juices, water, low fat muffins and bagels.

For those workplaces without a cafeteria or canteen, providing refrigerators, microwaves and hot plates are essential for making it convenient for employees to bring their meals from home.

Making on-site programs such as Weight Watchers available at work.

Have employees create and stock a garden that produces fruit and vegetables for employee’s use.

Put into action lunch time fitness options such as intramural sports, running and walking groups, nutrition lunch and learn seminars and cooking demonstrations.

Provide pre-ordered healthy meals to go for employees to take home for dinner promoting healthy eating habits after work hours.

Make available weekly meal planners with shopping lists and the opportunity to online grocery shop (with delivery to central workplace location) to promote healthy food choices.

Remember that like all new initiatives before embarking on a workplace health program, employers must know who their audience is, have an understanding of what motivates them, provide a wide variety of options and be realistic with their goals. Not all employees will want to adopt a new lifestyle program however by making it part of the company culture across all levels, most employees will pick out what is important to them and incorporate it into their daily lives. Most people want to inherently be healthy, it is a matter of gaining the insight and education into how to achieve this. By facilitating this education, the employer can play an important role.

It is socially important and economically viable as well as a profitable business practice for employers to responsibly ensure that workers have access to nutritious, safe and affordable food, an adequate meal break and decent conditions for eating. Each healthy individual contributes to achieving a healthy corporate philosophy.

Healthy Snacks for the Workplace
It’s good for the mind, body and soul to work mini snack breaks into your work day but don’t just mindlessly eat. This can cause quick and unhealthy over eating without our minds even registering what we have eaten leaving us unsatisfied. Put aside your work for a few minutes, take the time to enjoy what you are eating and you will find yourself revved up and ready to go again.

Here are some examples of healthy snacks that you can keep at your desk handy when you need that pick me up.
· Trail mix and/or dried fruits and nuts
· Breakfast cereal (choose a higher-fiber, lower-sugar type)
· Single serve cans of higher-fiber, lower-fat, and lower-sodium soup (microwavable)
· Instant oatmeal packets (look for less-sugar options)
· Tuna salad kit (includes a small can of water-packed tuna, and crackers)
· Higher-fiber, lower-fat crackers
· Natural-style peanut butter with crackers, bagels, and/or fruit
· Packets of low-calorie hot chocolate

I’ve never been one for resolutions and especially at New Year’s; too much fun going on at this time of year to burden myself with unrealistic expectations. Besides resolutions are often about cutting back in your life and I’ve always felt that life is too short to deprive yourself of all the good stuff; like champagne, rich gooey cheeses and butterscotch sauce - everything in moderation I say!

Instead of resolutions I usually just make little promises to myself throughout the year as I see fit. For instance somewhere in the middle of 2007 I decided that I needed to stop being such a procrastinator in certain areas of my life. I pushed myself not to put off those little tasks that can add up quickly and then stress me out even quicker. So I made the call for any home repairs when they happened, I tackled my writing assignments well before they were due and I picked up the clutter when I saw it instead of stepping over it (and over it and over it!). I must say I did a pretty good job of sticking to it and I feel great about it. So maybe I am happy to make resolutions but just not only on January 1st. Seeing as it’s January 7th I should be safe to try a few.

Here are a few of my foodie promises to myself.

· Explore a different culture’s cuisine. African flavours and spices are first on the list.
· Open those bottles of wine I have been saving for a special occasion. Isn’t a Tuesday enough of a celebration?

· Continue to push my kids’ palettes with new tastes and textures. My 6 year old asked me if we were still on that “sophisticated palette kick” - um yes... that would be called eating in our house!

· Stop procrastinating and stock the freezer with batch meals for those crazy week nights—cabbage rolls, stews, soups, lamb shanks etc.

· Take my own advice and clean out my kitchen cupboards. I’m tired of moving the blender, the food processor and 3 coffee makers (don’t ask) just to get to the hand mixer.

I’ll let you know how the list goes! Happy New Year and Bon Appétit

It’s the New Year again and it seems like we just popped the last bubbly and threw confetti into the air. If your 2007 health resolutions went the way of your confetti then perhaps it’s time to set more realistic guidelines for a healthier eating plan. Just like any new skill, eating healthier takes planning and practice. Making one or two simple changes to your diet successfully will give you the confidence and boost you need to keep adding healthier changes. To help get you started in 2008 here are a few easy to include tips that you can start introducing into your daily eating routines.

1. Plan your menus for the week (this will take some practice and time in the early weeks) and shop only once per week. This will help keep you away from the impulse packaged foods aisle and give you all the ingredients you need at your fingertips to create quick and healthy weekday meals.

2. Reduce the salt but bump up the flavour in your cooking by cutting back on the salt and increase the amount and types of spices, herbs and flavourings. By including fresh or dried herbs and flavours like garlic, chilli and ginger into your meals you won’t feel the need to add as much sodium in your recipes. Take the salt shaker off your table too!

3. When baking substitute half the suggested white flour with whole wheat flour. You may need to add one or two more tablespoons of liquid as the mixture will be slightly drier with whole wheat flour but you’ll increase your protein and retain essential natural nutrients that you don’t get in white flour.

4. Add canned beans to your stews, soups, casseroles and salads. Packed full of fiber and protein, drained, canned beans such as chick peas, kidney beans and black beans are easy to use and keep on hand.

5. Help cut the fat in your diet by switching your family to low fat or skim milk products. These contain the same amount of protein, B vitamins and calcium but with less fat. If you cook or bake with cheese, choose a strong tasting cheese like mature cheddar or blue cheese and you won’t have to use as much.

Here’s a recipe that you can include in your weekly meal plans. Ginger Chicken With Rice Noodles is high in protein, low in fat, contains ingredients that keep well in your pantry and refrigerator and can be prepared in advance. Simply reheat the baked chicken and poaching liquid when ready to serve and place over hot rice noodles or rice of your choice. Feel free to decrease or increase the chillies to suit your family’s tastes. My kids like the “funny see through” noodles and have increased their tolerance to chillies the more they have been exposed to them! Enjoy and Happy New Year!

Ginger Chicken with Rice Noodles
Serves 4
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
250ml (1 cup) low sodium chicken broth
60g (1 inch piece) ginger, peeled and very thinly sliced into matchstick size pieces
4 green onions, sliced thinly
1 green chilli, deseeded and sliced thinly
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon sugar
225g rice noodles
For the Sauce:
1 teaspoon fish sauce
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
60g (½ cup) sugar peas, sliced thinly
Coriander leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 350F.

Place chicken breasts and broth in a large shallow saucepan. Add enough cold water to just cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove chicken and place on plate to cool, keeping liquid in pan.

Continue to simmer the poaching liquid until the stock is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and keep warm.

Meanwhile cut each chicken breast into 4 slices. Arrange side by side on a large piece of foil. Divide the ginger, onions and green chillies among the chicken slices.

In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, lemon juice and sugar; stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour over chicken slices. Fold foil over and around the chicken to make a parcel. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.

While chicken is baking, pour boiling water over noodles until covered in a heatproof bowl and soak for 15 minutes.

To serve, divide the noodles amongst 4 large, deep soup plates. Unwrap the chicken and arrange the pieces and accumulated juices equally over the noodles. Spoon the poaching liquid over the chicken and garnish with coriander if desired.

I’ve never been one for resolutions and especially at New Year’s; too much fun going on at this time of year to burden myself with unrealistic expectations. Besides resolutions are often about cutting back in your life and I’ve always felt that life is too short to deprive yourself of all the good stuff; like champagne, rich gooey cheeses and butterscotch sauce - everything in moderation I say!

Instead of resolutions I usually just make little promises to myself throughout the year as I see fit. For instance somewhere in the middle of 2007 I decided that I needed to stop being such a procrastinator in certain areas of my life. I pushed myself not to put off those little tasks that can add up quickly and then stress me out even quicker. So I made the call for any home repairs when they happened, I tackled my writing assignments well before they were due and I picked up the clutter when I saw it instead of stepping over it (and over it and over it!). I must say I did a pretty good job of sticking to it and I feel great about it. So maybe I am happy to make resolutions but just not only on January 1st. Seeing as it’s January 7th I should be safe to try a few.

Here are a few of my foodie promises to myself.

· Explore a different culture’s cuisine. African flavours and spices are first on the list.

· Open those bottles of wine I have been saving for a special occasion. Isn’t a Tuesday enough of a celebration?

· Continue to push my kids’ palettes with new tastes and textures. My 6 year old asked me if we were still on that “sophisticated palette kick” - um yes... that would be called eating in our house!

· Stop procrastinating and stock the freezer with batch meals for those crazy week nights—cabbage rolls, stews, soups, lamb shanks etc.

· Take my own advice and clean out my kitchen cupboards. I’m tired of moving the blender, the food processor and 3 coffee makers (don’t ask) just to get to the hand mixer.

I’ll let you know how the list goes! Happy New Year and Bon Appétit.