Healthy meeting toolkit

HEALTHY MEETING GUIDE

A RESOURCE FOR UI FACULTY & STAFF

Table of Contents

Why Offer Healthy Meetings? ..........................3 Benefits of Healthy Meetings ..................3 General Recommendations ...................3 Making Wise Food Choices .............................4 Choosing Nutritious Foods ......................4 Meal Recommendations for Breaks.......5 Moving More .....................................................6 Healthy Meeting Checklist ..............................7 Sources ..............................................................8

Why Offer Healthy Meetings?

Meetings are an essential part of our workplace culture. Research has indicated there is a strong relationship between the physical and social environments of the workplace and health behaviors of employees. Easier access to healthier foods, beverages, and physical activity at work engages employees and encourages adopting a healthier lifestyle. By offering healthy meetings, it sends a strong message to employees about The University of Iowa’s commitment to providing a healthy and supportive work environment.

Benefits of Adopting Healthy Meeting Guidelines: • • • • • •

Energized employees Boosted employee morale Improved concentration Enhanced memory Increased productivity Supported long term health

Together, we can work towards making the healthy choice the easy choice.

General Recommendations Include: •

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Provide healthier choices for employees and change the social norms towards healthy behaviors.

Put healthier options at the front of the buffet line Reduce portion sizes by providing smaller bowls, plates, and cups.

Provide fat-free, low fat, or low calorie food and beverages.

Offer food and beverages that are low in added sugars.

Include a variety of fruits and vegetables.

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Offer 100% whole grain food options such as brown rice, quinoa, whole grain pasta, bread, tortillas, chips, or crackers.

Serve foods low in sodium such as unsalted pretzels, chips, or popcorn. Cook entrees with herbs and spices instead of salt.

Avoid fried foods Request condiments on the side Make water the default beverage Offer physical activity breaks, especially for longer meetings.

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Making Wise Food Choices Choosing Nutritious Foods Providing foods packed with the right macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals fuels the mind and body to help staff stay alert, focused, and motivated to power through their day.

Adding Fruits and Vegetables. Make sure there are plenty of options of colorful fruits and vegetables. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients that enhance brain power and support long term health.

Incorporating Whole Grains. Whole Finding Balance. A healthy diet includes a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Moreover, reducing portion sizes help prevent overeating.

Providing modest size plates supports healthy living.

Limiting Salt and Sugar. The average American overconsumes the daily recommended amount for salt and sugar.

Avoiding processed foods and sugar sweetened beverages or desserts. Cook entrees with herbs and spices instead of salt and request condiments as an option off to the side.

grains such as brown rice, quinoa, whole grain breads, pastas, or crackers are more filling and nutritious than refined grains. Additionally, they are positively associated with increased energy and weight control.

Serving Water. Always make sure water is available. Limit sugar laden beverages such as soda, sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit drinks, or sweetened coffee and teas.

Selecting Healthy Fats and Proteins.

Avocados, hummus, nuts and seeds, tuna, salmon, olive oil, and canola oil are rich in heart healthy unsaturated fats. Avoid trans-fat and reduce saturated fats, found in cheese, processed deli meats, red meat, and butter.

Lean healthy proteins include poultry, seafood, tofu, eggs, lentils, beans, nuts, and seeds.

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Meal Recommendations for Breaks Breakfast & Brunch

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Serve fresh fruit and 100% fruit or vegetable juice.

Offer skim or low-fat milk.

Offer whole-grain bread, rice, pasta, and cereals when possible.

Offer mini bagels and muffins instead of large ones.

Offer whole-grain toast, bagels, fruit breads, and muffins instead of donuts, biscuits, and pastries.

Offer fruit toppings for hot and cold cereals, pancakes, waffles, and crepes.

Offer vegetables like mushrooms, red peppers, onions, tomatoes, green peppers and spinach for omelet fillings.

Limit fried foods and highfat meals such as bacon, sausage, and hash browns.

Snack Ideas

Lunch & Dinner

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Offer whole grain breads.

Offer salad dressings on the side, and always include a low fat or fat free option.

Offer broth or vegetable based soups instead of cream soups.

Serve pastas with tomato, pesto, or vegetable based sauces instead of cream sauces.

Include fruit and vegetables with each meal.

Offer a vegetarian option.

Limit red meat to 4 ounce servings and offer chicken, turkey, fish, and shellfish when possible.

Choose steamed, poached, baked, and broiled meats instead of fried or sautéed.

Avoid fried foods like French fries, onion rings, and fried chicken.

Request smaller portion sized desserts or offer fruit.

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Offer 100% fruit and vegetable juices.

Offer fruit and vegetable dips.

Offer fruit smoothies or lowfat frozen yogurt-based milk shakes.

Offer tortilla chips with bean dip and salsa Offer pretzels, hot pretzels with mustard, or popcorn with trail mix.

Offer cookies or other sweets (ask for smaller portion sizes) with fresh fruit and cheese kabobs.

Consider not always having food at breaks

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Moving More: Hosting an Active Meeting

Activity Breaks Should be:

Planned activity breaks are important to re-energize participants and their attention spans. Furthermore, it adds physical activity to everyone’s day. Here are some strategies to incorporate more physical activity into your meeting.

 Voluntary  Fun and safe  Do-able without breaking a sweat  Done at participants own pace  Fit for anyone’s abilities

Standing and Stretch Breaks 

At least once an hour, encourage participants to stand and stretch to wake up their mind and body. This will improve blood circulation, refocus their attention, and relieve physical discomfort from sitting too long.

Activity Breaks  An activity break is a fun, 3-5 minute group activity in which the participants move their whole body to music. It should be easy to follow and accommodate for all abilities.

Walking Breaks  Schedule a “Walk and Talk” meeting where items are discussed while walking.  Encourage participants to take a 10-15 minute walk during a scheduled break.

Chair Exercises • • • •

Chair twists Toe raises Knee lifts Arms reaching over head

Small Movements • • • • • •

Arm circles Marching in place Side steps Side-to-side arm swings Arm reaches Hip Circle

Stretches • • • • •

Calf stretch Side stretch Chest stretch Neck and head circles Quad stretch 6

Healthy Meeting Checklist  Ask about dietary restrictions such as vegetarian, vegan, low or no sugar, or gluten or lactose intolerance  Request smaller plates and serving sizes  Include a variety of healthy foods  Offer fresh fruits and vegetables with each meal  Make sure foods are low in calories, fat, sugar, and salt  Provide healthy fats and proteins (i.e. beans, lean meats, fish)  Incorporate whole-grains into the meal (i.e. brown rice, 100% whole wheat bread, quinoa)  Ask for sauces, dressings, and condiments on the side  Order water and other healthy drinks such as tea or unsweetened coffee  Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages (i.e. lemonade, soda)  Avoid fried foods/appetizers  Order healthier dessert options such as fruit or other desserts in smaller portion sizes  Build opportunity for movement and physical activity into the meeting

Sources & Additional Resources 7

This content has been adapted from: American Cancer Society. Meeting Well: A Tool for Planning Healthy Meetings and events. http://www.acsworkplacesolutions.com/wpsPDFs/MeetingWell_GuideBo ok_F251300.pdf Center of Disease Control. Tips for Offering Healthier Options and Physical Activity at Workplace Meetings and Events. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/downloads/tips-for-offering-healthier-optionsand-pa-at-workplace.pdf

National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity. Healthy Meeting Toolkit. https://cspinet.org/resource/healthy-meeting-toolkit

Oakland Unified School District. Healthy Meeting Toolkit: A Guide for OUSD Staff, Families, & Community Partners to Create a Healthy and Supportive School Environment. https://www.ousd.org/cms/lib07/CA01001176/Centricity/Domain/139/Healthy %20Meeting%20Toolkit.pdf

UC Berkeley Healthy Meeting and Event Guide: A Tool for Campus Event Planners http://sustainability.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/healthymeeting.pdf

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