Good food, good mood: How food affects employee mental health
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- 3 Min Read
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What if you could improve employee mental health with something as simple as food? It’s not entirely wishful thinking. While food certainly isn’t a mental health panacea, nutrient-rich foods have been shown to raise morale and lower stress in the workplace, among other benefits.
Scientifically speaking, it makes sense. The brain uses 20% of the calories we consume in a day – which makes skipping meals a literal brain drain. Unfortunately, as ezCater research shows, skipping lunch is a worrying trend in the workplace. It causes a crash in blood sugar, which is linked to mood swings and poor brain performance, or “brain fog.” It’s no wonder that 53% of employees we surveyed for our 2023 Lunch Report say they have more mental clarity when they stop for lunch.
The relationship between food and mental health
But there’s more to mental health than just the brain. Surprisingly enough, the gastrointestinal tract (or gut) also plays a huge role in mood regulation. In fact, the gut produces 95% of all serotonin, the “feel good” neurotransmitter responsible for sleep, well-being, and much more. It’s not a stretch to call the gut our second brain.
And then, there’s the role mood-supporting nutrients play in a healthy mood regulation. Vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, magnesium, and potassium all play a part in keeping our minds focused and positive.
How to utilize food to boost employees’ moods in the workplace
In a nutshell, good food promotes good mental well-being. So if companies can make sure their employees have access to healthy food and snacks while they work, they’ll be doing their teams a real service – one that could benefit them too: happy employees are five times less absent, 12% more productive, and more creative.
If food perks were already a popular, non-traditional benefit for work before, now they’re even more relevant. Let’s take a closer look at practical ways companies can make coffee, snack, and lunch breaks drive business results.
Good mood, good food
Forty-eight percent of employees admit to skipping lunch during the week. The result? Blood sugar level crashes that leave workers fatigued and irritable as the day progresses. This meal-skipping trend also hurts companies — just think of all the productivity lost to low energy levels.
Fortunately, beating the afternoon slump is possible with food. Encourage employees to step away from their workstations and grab a bite to eat. Even 30 minutes of break can reinvigorate workers and uplift their mood.
If you want to go even further, try ordering a catered lunch once or twice per week. Employee mental health is important year-round, so no need to limit lunch perks to special holidays like Employee Appreciation Day (or Mental Health Awareness Month!)
It’s best to stay away from ultra-processed foods, which have been linked to depression and anxiety. Instead, opt for meals packed with complex carbs, healthy fats, and lean protein, as this combination offers a boost of long-lasting energy. Sushi bowls, black bean and avocado wraps, and loaded salads would all be excellent picks.
Combating stress and anxiety
Replenishing blood sugar levels isn’t the only power food has. Work lunches can even strengthen social ties. Sharing a meal with coworkers is a chance to bond over shared interests and develop empathy, which is especially important in multicultural workplaces. Besides combating loneliness and isolation, socializing in the workplace also improves communication and teamwork.
But there’s an even more surprising benefit to shared meals: easing stress. According to our 2023 Lunch Report, 50% of workers say they feel less stressed after eating lunch. When it comes to team lunches, though, the anxiety-busting gains are even better. According to a 2022 study, people with strong social connections develop more resilience to stress. When confronted with stressful situations, they can manage it more easily in a healthy way.
Want to reap these perks? Consider organizing work events with food. For example, you could plan weekly catered team lunches. Treat them like a laid-back alcohol-free revamped happy hour. After all, 68% of people say they want to socialize with coworkers, but they’d rather do it over lunch than drinks. Let the conversation flow naturally or plan team-building activities to break the ice at first.
If a mid-day break doesn’t work for your company, host team breakfasts instead. Put a healthy spin on this morning meal by swapping out the donuts for oats, the sweetened juices for smoothies, and the bacon for scrambled eggs. A combination of complex carbs, lean protein, and healthy fats will power up your employees and maybe even empower them to make better choices at home.
Improving brain power
We’ve focused on how important lunch breaks and team meals are for employee mental health. They’ll always yield benefits, but you can make food perks work even harder for you with brain foods.
B vitamins, vitamin K, beta carotene, omega-3 fatty acids, flavonoids, and antioxidants protect the brain against oxidative stress, which causes cell damage. Adding foods packed with these micronutrients to your work food menus is worth it. Perks include reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, improved memory function, better creative thinking, and higher workplace productivity.
Optimizing what’s on the menu isn’t too complicated. Popular brain foods include:
- Fish (namely salmon, cod, and tuna)
- Seafood
- Beans and legumes
- Leafy greens (especially kale, spinach, broccoli, and collards)
- Yogurt
- Nuts and seeds
- Olive oil
- Berries
- Dark chocolate
The next time you order lunch for your teams, try ordering a tuna and kale salad with olive oil vinaigrette and shaved almonds. Or for a vegetarian-friendly pick, go with a whole-wheat pita wrap with chickpea falafel, mixed greens, and yogurt sauce. The brain food combinations are practically endless!
Balanced meals are great food for thought
Good food boosts mood and promotes mental well-being. That’s the main takeaway, but there is still a lot more to learn. As nutritional psychiatry develops, we’ll be able to better build a healthier, happier, and more productive workplace.
For now, companies should focus on providing nourishing, delicious meals to their employees. It’s not so hard with expert help. Whether your company wants to show appreciation with food during key moments throughout the year or add a company-wide employee meal program, ezCater’s Corporate Solutions can handle it all. Learn more about how ezCater’s Corporate Solutions team can help you build a healthier, happier, and more productive workplace.
