WELL-BEING TOOLKIT: NUTRITION
Incorporating nutritious foods into daily life has positive impacts on our health and does not have to be difficult, time consuming, or costly.
Benefits of Nutrition
Nutrition Activities
Are you looking to infuse mental health and well-being into the day-to-day culture of your department? Use the suggested activities and instructions below to encourage conversations and practice skills for nutrition. These activities can be led by your department’s Wellness Ambassador or anyone who is interested in facilitating an activity for your department. If you have questions, liveWELL is here to help.
Mindful Moments (5 minutes)
Mindful moments are quick activities that are 5 minutes or less and are perfect for when you only have a few minutes as a team to connect on a well-being topic. You can incorporate these into the start of a team meeting or huddle.
• Make a list of nutritious foods that you could bring to a staff break room. Use this list to spark ideas for foods that could be brought in for a birthday or staff appreciation day.
o View the Eat Well Cookbooks for ideas!
• Take a moment to download or print out this food log to track dietary intake and notice trends in your eating habits. Reflect on wins or challenges as a team.
The University of Iowa prohibits discrimination in employment, educational programs, and activities on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions) disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, gender identity, or associational preferences. The university also affirms its commitment to providing equal opportunities and equal access to university facilities. For additional information on nondiscrimination policies, contact Office of Institutional Equity, the University of Iowa, 202 Jessup Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242-1316, 319-335-0705, oie-ui@uiowa.edu
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Contact liveWELL at 319-353-2973 or livewell@uiowa.edu or visit our website at hr.uiowa.edu/employee-well-being/livewell
Skill Boosters (15 minutes)
Skill Boosters are a step above mindful moments and usually last about 10-15 minutes. These activities provide opportunities for participants to practice enhancing skills for the well-being topic.
• Bring a copy of your favorite recipe to share with co-workers. Sharing recipes can be a great way to try new foods and to connect with others in the workplace. Exchanging recipes can help strengthen relationships by encouraging a sense of trust, community, belonging, and closeness.
• Explore healthy options that are available at locations around campus. Take some time to explore cafeterias or marketplace options that are filled with nutrients. Help each other by making a list of the locations and food items.
Conversation Starters (20-30 minutes)
Conversation starters are for when you have more time carved out to engage with the topic such as 20-30 minutes. Include this topic as a main agenda item in one of your upcoming team meetings, huddles, or staff retreats. These activities are designed to help foster discussion and connection on the well-being topic.
• Prepare a nutritious snack for the department Carve out time before work or during a lunch break to prepare a nutritious snack for the break room. View examples of snacks and dips that would be easy to grab and go!
• Engage in a journaling activity to reflect on your nutrition Here are some prompts to get you started:
o Describe what having a balanced diet means to you.
o Why is healthy eating important?
o What structures are in place to help me make nutritious choices?
o What are obstacles that I encounter? How can I work around these obstacles?
o What is one step I can make today to improve or maintain my nutrition?
Department Challenges (2-4 weeks)
Do you want to do more with the well-being topic? Consider implementing a department wide challenge that lasts anywhere from 2-4 weeks on the well-being topic. liveWELL has several challenge programs that you can implement with your department anytime throughout the year that are complete with communications and materials.
• Implement a topic challenge (Colorful Choices)
RESOURCES
Visit the Nutrition Resource Library to access numerous resources
The University of Iowa prohibits discrimination in employment, educational programs, and activities on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions) disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, gender identity, or associational preferences. The university also affirms its commitment to providing equal opportunities and equal access to university facilities. For additional information on nondiscrimination policies, contact Office of Institutional Equity, the University of Iowa, 202 Jessup Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242-1316, 319-335-0705, oie-ui@uiowa.edu
Click here to enter text.
Contact liveWELL at 319-353-2973 or livewell@uiowa.edu or visit our website at hr.uiowa.edu/employee-well-being/livewell