Workplace wellness has been a high priority for many organizations looking to improve the health and wellbeing of employees while also curbing the impact in the rising costs of healthcare. There are many ways to promote wellness in the workplace, but one of the most popular are employee wellness health fairs. I am often invited to attend such events and I always find that I leave them with a better understanding of the issues many working adults face in their efforts  to make healthy choices. I also find satisfaction in sharing information and resources to make the process of healthy eating easier.

Here are my "takeaways" from my recent event at the Sacramento County Child Support Services employee wellness fair:

• Most people want to make meals at home to avoid the pitfalls of last minute take out options. But after a long work day, driving children to and from after school events and running last minute errands, most people find it almost impossible. That's why I was excited to share our meal planning website Meals Matter, which has all the tools needed to make planning meals and eating at home simple. Many of the people I spoke with said that they could eat healthier if they learned how to plan their meals, stock their pantry with key staples, and prepare simple healthy recipes. A woman that I met from last years event recognized our resources and even shouted out to her colleagues, "You have got to try this website...I love it!"
• Many employees are parents, and although they are concerned about their own health, they also want more information on how to make sure their children grow up healthy. I love reminding them of my 2 top priority tips for parents 1) being a healthy role model is one of the best ways to ensure your children learn how to make choices that lead to lifelong health. 2) Eating meals together as a family is an easy way to ensure everyone gets the nutrients they need, especially when you serve foods from all five food groups. I gave many parents in attendance our booklets Making Meals Matter for Your Young and Making Meals Matter for Your School Age Child, which contain wonderful information on how to be a healthy role model and plan nutritious meals and snacks.
• Nutrition misinformation in everywhere, and many of the people I spoke with were confused on how to eat healthfully. They can't keep up with what foods are considered "good" and what foods are "bad". One of the favorite aspects of my job is showing people that healthy eating is not complicated and doesn't involve diets, fads or restriction. Eating healthy can be as simple as 1) consuming a variety of nutrient-rich foods from all of the food groups 2) balancing our intake of food with physical activity and 3) enjoying foods that are low in nutritional value in moderation. Our booklet Activity and Eating is a great way to learn how to incorporate these concepts into your everyday life.

Promoting health in the workplace is a wonderful way to help improve the eating and physical activity habits of adults. There are many ways that you can bring wellness into your work environment. Our free wellness toolkit makes starting a wellness program easy. And if your place of employment is planning a employee wellness health fair, you can count on us to give you the resources and information needed to make healthy eating easier.

Ashley Rosales, R.D.
Project Manager