If you haven’t already heard, March is National Nutrition Month. Sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, National Nutrition Month is dedicated to the pursuit of healthier living, from choosing foods that are good for your health to selecting healthier options when you’re away from home.
If you’re already in full swing communicating with your team about National Nutrition Month, that’s great. If you aren’t, it’s not too late. Here are some cool things you can do to promote nutrition the rest of the month.
1. Make it social
Generate some excitement! Let’s face it – most everyone is on social media. That’s where communication is happening. Now’s your perfect chance to let your cafe shine on social media and join the digital conversation.
Encourage guests to take photos of your awesome food and post them on their favorite platform. Share what’s going on in your cafe. Make wellness and nutrition part of the conversation.
At this point, if you’re not using social media to promote your corporate dining options, you’re missing out on a huge marketing opportunity and the chance to connect with potential employees as well as loyal guests. Be sure to use hashtags like #NationalNutritionMonth!
2. Host events or contests
Engage your employees with fun ways to participate in National Nutrition Month.
For example, set up a table of fresh herbs and spices for employees to use as a salt alternative and have them guess what all of the spices are. Highlight those who get it right on a bulletin board or use social media to post the winners.
Use this as an opportunity to feature interesting grains and offer samples to encourage your employees to try them. Debut a special meatless menu pop-up station each day or a lunch-and-learn where the chef shows guests how to select healthy ingredients and cook healthy dishes.
It’s all about making nutrition education fun to promote a healthy lifestyle.
3. Engage the taste buds
Now is the perfect time to introduce and feature some new flavors. Promote dishes that appeal to the diversity of your team and feature tastes that are salty, sour, sweet, savory … the list goes on.
Engaging the taste buds will enhance the dining experience and make your team feel appreciated. Presenting new options that are focused on nutrition and diversity will show that your dining team is making an effort to celebrate different preferences in taste throughout your workplace.
4. Offer plant-forward foods
There is a global conversation going on about plant-based or plant-forward foods. Consider how vegetables and fruits can be used to expand the variety of your menus with meatless meals. Many dishes that use meat and poultry can be prepared without them. Vegetables, lentils and beans are all great substitutes.
Vegetables are both high in water content and rich in nutrients. For people who want to keep some meat in their diet, offer blended options like the popular blended burger, which adds 25-40 percent roasted mushrooms to burgers. Or add grated or pureed vegetables like squash to soups, sauces and mixed dishes like lasagna.
Starting a dish with a wide variety of vegetables and whole grains, then adding protein as an afterthought, can have a major impact on reducing the number of calories in each meal.
National Nutrition Month is about making lifelong nutritional changes that can start with one spark. Leverage this amazing opportunity to educate your employees on the importance of good nutrition and put them on the pathway to better health.
Want to learn more about how we treat every month like National Nutrition Month? Get in touch with us.
Compass Notes 