Eating right, exercising, getting enough sleep — it’s hard to do when we spend eight hours (or more) at work each day. The majority of our meals are often consumed in the workplace, from breakfast and lunch to mid-day snacks, so it’s not surprising that one fifth of workers say they appreciate healthy food options at work. The question is, how do you make it happen?

Even small changes to what you eat can make a huge difference. From supporting local businesses to trying meatless meals and coming up with healthy lunch ideas for work, there is so much good you can do.

Get inspired by these eight lunchtime tips that will help you (and maybe your whole office) put a healthier foot forward.

1. Start small with healthy swaps

82% of employees say that having healthy food options at work is important, and it’s easy to see why. It boosts energy levels, reduces stress, and increases happiness. At work, that translates to a spike in productivity and brain function.

It might seem easier to order cheese-laden pizzas or fast food than light, healthy options, but online ordering means you can search for just about anything, and unlike at home, you leave the cooking to the pros. Salads, lean proteins, sushi, soups, and whole-grain sandwiches are all great options. You can even start by adding fruit as a side instead of chips, double up on vegetables, or choose lean meats over processed lunch meat. If you’re responsible for feeding the team, include healthier options at least twice a week as part of your company’s work lunch rotation. You don’t have to make giant, wholesale changes overnight to make a big impact.

2. Enjoy more plant-based meals

But what about changing what you order completely? That’s what Meatless Mondays are all about. The campaign encourages people to opt for vegetarian-friendly meals once a week. It’s good for the planet because these meals typically use fewer resources.

Plant-based foods are more popular now than ever, but not everyone is convinced to try them. There’s still a big misconception that vegetarian meals are nothing but boring, flavorless salads. Prove the skeptics wrong by ordering well-seasoned vegan meals at least a few times a month. 

Start with simple, easy-to-love dishes that look and taste familiar. For example, you could order bean tacos on a Tuesday, loaded with shredded lettuce, sweet corn, pico de gallo, and a dollop of guacamole. It’s a crowd-pleasing alternative to beef tacos that might just drum up support for more veggie work lunches.

For a more adventurous meal, you could switch things up with cauliflower wings or even cauliflower steak. These two dishes are some of the most unique vegan comfort foods out there. Cauliflower wings are tossed in sauce (just like chicken wings) and would be a delicious finger food for a laid-back lunch. Cauliflower steak is great for special meals, like work holiday lunches.

3. Avoid or limit food waste

You can also make an effort to curb food waste at your office, which is a larger problem than many realize as a third of all food is wasted in the United States. A sizable chunk of that food goes straight from our homes and workplaces to the landfill. There, it rots and emits greenhouse gases, the same as 42 coal-powered plants running for a year. It’s also costing us all $149 billion yearly.

Curbing food waste is an eco-friendly consideration that can also help your organization meet Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals. Here are some considerations:

• Learn how to order appropriate quantities. Be sure to get a headcount or RSVP list before ordering to be as accurate with your purchases as possible.

Manage leftovers wisely. If you do over-order, let employees take leftovers home (hurrah for less cooking). Alternatively, you can partner with a food distribution program to get those delicious leftovers to families dealing with food insecurity in your community. If none of that works, composting is still better than just tossing it with other trash.

4. Budget smarter

Ordering food for work doesn’t have to cost a small fortune — not even when you order a healthy spread. There are plenty of budget-friendly catering options, you just have to know a few tricks:

• Buffets are often more affordable than individually packaged meals.
• Some cuisines (like Indian and Chinese) cost less than others (like Japanese and French).
• Take advantage of ezCater’s filters to set per-head and delivery fee spending limits. You will only see restaurants and caterers that fit your budget.

Sticking to your budget can ensure less stressful expense tracking, without any mental math slip-ups.

5. Support local restaurants

Ordering food from independently owned restaurants strengthens your community. That’s because two-thirds of every dollar spent gets reinvested locally. You can make your company’s food-ordering money count by supporting local eateries.

Of course, that doesn’t mean saying goodbye to your team’s go-to fast-casual chain. But make it your goal to order at least half of all your meals locally, for example.

6. Order from restaurants owned by members of underrepresented groups

You could take your commitment to local cuisine a step further. Consider ordering more often from minority-owned restaurants and caterers in your area. You could do it regularly or on special holidays, like Cinco de Mayo, Black History Month, or Pride Month.

Supporting these small businesses has so many perks. For starters, it’s a delicious way to switch things up and keep work lunches interesting. It’s also an opportunity to try something new, which fosters creative thinking. On top of all that, diverse dining options can help build a safer and more welcoming workplace.

7. Encourage employees to take lunch breaks

These efforts only matter if employees pause for lunch — and that’s becoming increasingly difficult. Today, 48% of workers skip lunch at least once a week and Gen Z workers are the least likely to take a lunch break. Everyone is hungrier, more exhausted, and more burnt out.

Are you up for a challenge? Break this unhealthy cycle in your workplace. Some lunch-skipping habits die hard, but it’s not an impossible mission. Scheduling company-wide breaks, hosting fun team-building activities over lunch, and ordering delicious food are just some of the strategies you could use.

8. Celebrate more wins as a team

Getting everyone into the same room to share a meal is worth it. Food brings people together and builds company culture. It’s one of the many reasons why so many work events revolve around food.As you move forward, make an effort to organize more laid-back team celebrations with the help of catering services. For example, you could throw an office birthday party to honor a top performer with cupcakes. Or you could celebrate the holiday season with an end-of-year party complete with elaborate sides, mains, and festive drinks.

Achieve a happier, healthier workplace with ezCater

Switching up your go-to lunch routine might be intimidating at first, but don’t let that stop you from taking small steps to create a healthier, happier, and more connected workplace. Get an experienced catering partner by your side. Managing plant-based meals, calculating budgets, and finding minority-owned businesses becomes so much easier with ezCater on your side.