Using Food to Bring Whole-Person Health to Life (Part 1)

If you read last week’s blog, you learned about our approach to well-being and how it ties into whole-person health — we also briefly touched on food’s role in driving individual wellness. This week, we’re going to explore the food component in greater depth by tackling the first four of the eight dimensions of whole-person health.

Food & Physical Wellness

Food and physical wellness are a connection we’re all familiar with — the food choices we make over time contribute significantly to long-term health. Diets high in whole foods and low in ultra-processed products support longevity and decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. Recent research has also confirmed that adult obesity is on the rise in the United States. Of course, food choices impact physical wellness in the short-term too, affecting energy levels, digestion, and mood. 

The types of food, quantity, and timing of our meals all affect physical health, as well as our motivation for being physically active.

How We Foster Physical Wellness with Workplace Food Programs

• Guckenheimer uses our workplace food programming to enhance physical well-being in several ways, including: 
• Serving dishes based on whole foods
• Prioritizing wholesome snacks and limiting access to ultra-processed foods
• Hiring an on-site registered dietitian to create programming that meet employee needs
• Providing incentives for meeting health behavior goals
• Following ServSafe standards for food preparation

Food & Emotional Wellness

Research has shown that food choices play a significant role in emotional wellness. In fact, emotional wellness is so tied to gut health, the gut is often called the “second brain.” Diets high in fruits and vegetables are associated with reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

Of course, food choices can also be influenced by emotions. When we’re stressed, we’re more likely to be drawn to high-calorie, high-fat foods with large amounts of added sugar. While turning to food for comfort is a natural thing to do, increased levels of stress may cause people to turn to food to ease discomfort more frequently. Essentially, we’re hyper-attracted to foods that are more likely to disrupt our emotional wellness in the long run, contributing to a state that encourages emotional eating.

How We Foster Emotional Wellness with Workplace Food Programs

Guckenheimer enhances emotional well-being through our workplace food programming in several ways, including: 

• Serving dishes rich in whole foods and probiotics to support gut health
• Offering a mindful selection of snacks to support a healthy relationship with food
• Creating a psychologically safe space through mindful communication
• Providing stress management resources and mindfulness classes
• Creating a supportive and calming food environment that is easy to navigate
• Allowing employees a chance to provide feedback and ensure potential concerns are heard and addressed

Food & Social Wellness

Sharing meals is an important component of how we connect and many of the gatherings we participate in are centered around food. The process of sitting down to eat within a group creates a bonding experience that can even help teams work together more efficiently. 

The food we purchase also provides an opportunity to support social responsibility efforts by ensuring workers are paid fair and equitable wages, patronizing businesses from underrepresented groups, and prioritizing companies with meaningful social responsibility programs in their communities. 

How We Foster Social Wellness with Workplace Food Programs

Guckenheimer drives social wellness in the workplace by:

• Offering strategic seating to promote conversation
• Hosting team-building events to build community
• Encouraging staff to build rapport with employees
• Creating a social wellness purchasing guide that favors BIPOC and women-owned vendors and companies
• Donating excess food, if possible
• Providing opportunities for employees to involve their families
• Featuring local chefs, farmers, and businesses

Food & Financial Wellness

Financial well-being is an important piece of whole-person health that can sometimes be overlooked. However, financial instability is associated with increased pain, risk of cardiovascular disease, and decreased resilience. 

Well-designed corporate dining programs can significantly contribute to employees’ financial well-being by providing affordable, nutritious meal options that reduce the need for costly takeout or convenience foods. 

How We Foster Financial Wellness with Workplace Food Programs

Guckenheimer uses food programming to contribute to financial well-being by:

• Offering affordable, high-quality meals
• Utilizing value-driven menu planning
• Offering loyalty programs and meal deals
• Teaching meal prep and batch-cooking workshops
• Promoting local and seasonal produce

In next week’s blog, we’ll dive into the remaining dimensions of whole-person health and how Guckenheimer’s food programming contributes to the well-being of client employees. Visit our website to learn more about how we use food to inspire innovation, celebrate culture and community, and elevate corporate dining into memorable experiences.