© British Nutrition Foundation 2017

Workplace planning guide

BNF Healthy Eating Week 2017

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© British Nutrition Foundation 2017

Introduction

Thank you for registering for this year’s British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) Healthy Eating Week. The Week will take place from 12-16 June 2017. BNF Healthy Eating Week is open to nurseries, schools, universities and workplaces. We are aiming to get everyone in the UK involved and hoping to make it even more successful than last year! The purpose of BNF Healthy Eating Week is to provide a dedicated week in the year where we can all come together to focus on healthy eating and drinking, and physical activity, in order to encourage healthy living. This guide is for workplaces. It has been developed to help you plan and organise your BNF Healthy Eating Week and provide you with ideas to meet the Week’s five challenges (Have breakfast; Have 5 A DAY; Drink plenty; Get active; and Try something new). Your BNF Healthy Eating Week will need to be tailored to the employees in your organisation. You can decide what activities will take place and when. We hope the Week will help you to build on your organisation’s employee health initiatives. We would be delighted to hear what you are planning for the Week, and what you do during the Week, so do get in touch. You can contact us or share your plans in the following ways: Email: postbox@nutrition.org.uk Twitter:@BNFEvents @Foodafactoflife #BNFHEW17

Have a great week! The BNF team

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© British Nutrition Foundation 2017

Why promote health in the workplace?

Benefits to employees Benefits to employers

Increased productivity and

production

Decreased absenteeism

Decreased sickness cost

Reduced staff turnover

Reduced occupational accidents

and injury

BNF Healthy Eating Week can

contribute to the Public Health

Responsibility Deal*

BNF Healthy Eating Week

provides an opportunity for team

building

BNF Healthy Eating Week

demonstrates to the wider

community that the health and

wellbeing of your staff is

important to your organisation

Promoting health in the workplace is not only beneficial to employees but employers too!

Enhanced health and wellbeing

Enhanced self-esteem

Reduced stress

Improved staff morale

Increased job satisfaction

*Published under the 2010-2015 coalition government

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© British Nutrition Foundation 2017

What’s happening during BNF Healthy Eating Week? Are you up to the challenge? Five health challenges are at the heart of BNF Healthy Eating Week. Each day will focus on one of the health challenges to encourage healthy lifestyle behaviours. The challenges are:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Your organisation can follow our Week’s timetable or you can change the timetable to fit your organisation (e.g. do the challenges on different days, or focus on one or more challenges for the whole week). Information about each of the challenges is provided on pages 4-8. Making positive changes We know that it can be hard to make changes to eating and physical activity habits and so we will be suggesting some activities based on the techniques below to help you and your colleagues achieve the challenges.

Setting goals and tracking progress can help motivate people into action.

Practical and emotional support from friends, family and colleagues can make it easier to change habits.

Small changes to the home or work enviroment can make healthier choices easier.

Material or social incentives can encourage positive shifts in behaviour.

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© British Nutrition Foundation 2017

Have breakfast We are challenging everyone to have a healthy breakfast (including a drink) every day.

Why is it important to have breakfast?

Breakfast helps get the day off to a good start by providing some of the energy and nutrients the body needs for good health (e.g. starchy carbohydrate, fibre, B vitamins and iron).

Eating breakfast has been associated with beneficial effects on cognitive performance.

Having breakfast, particularly one which includes protein, may help you to stave off hunger for longer and reduce snacking on less healthy foods.

What makes a healthy breakfast?

Choose higher-fibre, wholegrain varieties of starchy foods, such as wholemeal bread or wholegrain lower sugar breakfast cereals.

Include at least one of your 5 A DAY at breakfast (e.g. chopped banana, a handful of berries, mushrooms).

You could include dairy foods or dairy-free alternatives (e.g. milk, soya drinks, yogurt). Choose lower fat and lower sugar options.

You could include a source of protein (e.g. eggs, beans, kippers, ham, nuts).

Always include a drink so you start the day hydrated – water, unsweetened tea and coffee, and lower fat milk are good choices. 100% fruit juices and smoothies count towards one of your 5 A DAY, but should be limited to a combined maximum of 150ml per day.

You could try…

Sending e-mail alerts to remind staff to ‘have

breakfast’ and include some recipes for

inspiration.

Allowing employees to start work 30 minutes later to enjoy a healthy

breakfast with colleagues.

Asking employees to bring in a breakfast food

to contribute to a breakfast buffet for the

whole team.

Challenging your employees to have a

different breakfast every day of the Week.

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© British Nutrition Foundation 2017

Have 5 A DAY

We are challenging everyone to have at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day.

Why is it important to have 5 A DAY?

Fruit and vegetables provide fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals (e.g. polyphenols) that keep us healthy.

Eating at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day can help reduce the risk of developing chronic health problems, such as heart disease, stroke and some cancers.

What counts as a portion?

80g of fresh, frozen or canned fruit or vegetables counts as one portion, which is approximately:

- one medium sized piece of fruit such as a banana, apple, pear, orange or nectarine;

- two or more small fruits such as plums, satsumas, kiwi fruit or apricots;

- a large handful of berries, cherries or grapes; - one dessert bowl of salad; - three heaped tablespoons of vegetables.

30g (one heaped tablespoon) of dried fruit counts as one portion of your 5 A DAY, but should be eaten at mealtimes rather than as a snack to reduce the risk of tooth decay.

150ml of 100% fruit juice or smoothie and 80g of beans or pulses (three heaped tablespoons) count as one portion towards your 5 A DAY, but each of these would count only once each day.

You could try…

Asking canteen staff to serve vegetables or salad as the default

side-dish with all lunchtime meals.

Offering a prize, such as a recipe book or fruit basket, to those who

complete the challenge. evey day of the Week.

Asking employees to bring in fruit to contribute

to a communal fruit bowl.

Asking employees to make a ‘veg pledge’ to eat at least two portions of vegetables with every lunch and evening meal

during the Week.

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© British Nutrition Foundation 2017

Drink plenty We are challenging everyone to have at least 6-8 unsweetened drinks a day.

Why is it important to drink plenty?

The body is about 60% water and this is needed for many different functions, such as regulating body temperature.

We are constantly losing water through our skin when we sweat, our lungs when we breathe and when we go to the toilet, so it is important to drink plenty throughout the day to avoid dehydration.

Mild dehydration can make it difficult to concentrate and cause headaches and tiredness.

What counts? It is recommended that we drink 6-8 glasses of fluid every day. The exact amount of fluid an individual needs will depend on many factors including age, gender, activity levels and the weather. The following are all healthier drink options:

water (this is the best option for a regular drink);

lower fat milks;

unsweetened beverages (e.g. tea, coffee, sugar-free drinks). Fruit juice and smoothies should be limited to no more than a combined maximum of 150ml a day as they contain free sugars, which increase the risk of tooth decay and contribute to energy intake. You could try… Placing jugs of iced

water in your break, tea and meeting rooms; you could flavour these with

cucumber, lemon, orange or mint.

Rewarding those who meet the challenge with

a personalised water bottle or water infuser.

Asking employees to work together to make sure water dispensers,

jugs and bottles are kept topped up throughout

the day.

Using the BNF Healthy Eating Week tracker to record drinking habits, with the aim of drinking 6-8 glasses of fluid a

day.

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© British Nutrition Foundation 2017

Get active We are challenging everyone to move more and sit less.

Why is it important to get active? Physical activity is beneficial because it can:

help you to maintain energy balance;

improve heart health and strengthen muscle and bone;

improve sleep, relieve stress and lift mood.

What counts?

At least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic activity a week.

Plus muscle strengthening activities on two days or more of the week.

Moderate intensity physical activity will make you feel warmer, breathe harder and make your heart beat faster, but you should still be able to hold a conversation (e.g. fast walking, cycling). Vigorous intensity physical activity will make you feel warmer, breathe much harder and make your heart beat rapidly, making it more difficult to hold a conversation (e.g. running, squash). Muscle strengthening activities should work all the major muscles and are usually done in repetitions or sets, such as sit-ups, lifting weights and yoga. You could try…

Sending an email to encourage employees to leave their desk to talk to

colleagues, instead of emailing or telephoning.

Providing employees with an activity class

during their lunch break – you could invite a local fitness instructor to run

the class.

Organising a walking meeting wih colleagues.

Setting staff a challenge to include more walking,

running or cycling in their journey to work.

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© British Nutrition Foundation 2017

Try something new

We are challenging everyone to try a new food, drink, activity or experience during the Week.

Why is it important to try something new? Trying something new may help you to:

increase variety in the diet;

learn a new skill;

find a new activity to enjoy;

meet new people;

have fun! What counts? Any food, drink, physical activity or experience you have not tried before. You could organise a health MOT/workshop

A health MOT or workshop is a great way to promote health in the workplace and provide an opportunity for employees to have a health check.

You can do this by setting an afternoon aside and inviting local organisations to set up stalls in your workplace to promote a healthy lifestyle. For example: - invite a Dietitian or Registered Nutritionist to provide your employees

with information on healthy eating; - invite a Registered Nurse to provide your staff with a health check (e.g.

blood pressure, heart rate, BMI); - invite a fitness instructor to provide information on physical activity

and/or to run a fitness class; - invite a local chef/food retailer to provide a cooking demonstration

and/or free samples of healthier foods and drinks. You could try…

Asking the canteen to add new foods to the

menu. How about mackerel, lentils and

wholegrains?

Rewarding the team with an afternoon out to learn

a new activity (e.g. boules, table tennis,

pilates, sushi making).

Encouraging employees to swap recipes and

bring in new dishes for each other to try.

Setting employees a target to try at least one new food/drink or activity each day of the Week.

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© British Nutrition Foundation 2017

What’s happening in the run-up to BNF Healthy Eating Week? When What

March

Healthy Eating Week registration Look out for information about BNF’s Healthy Eating Week on the website and encourage colleagues at satellite sites or business partners to register: www.healthyeatingweek.org.uk Email updates You will start to receive BNF Healthy Eating Week email updates outlining resources and events to help you plan your Week.

May Online resources Resources to download and edit will be available online. Resources for the workplace will include:

five challenge posters;

template emails about each challenge to promote the Week to your colleagues;

BNF Healthy Eating Week logos to add to your own resources/promotional material;

a BNF Healthy Eating Week workplace quiz;

recipes to encourage colleagues to try something new;

video shorts about the challenges (e.g. healthy eating and how to move more and sit less);

social media resources – support to help inform others about what you are doing during the Week;

tracking charts for employees taking part in the challenges;

a BNF Healthy Eating Week certificate for your workplace.

June Monday 12 June 2017 – BNF Healthy Eating Week launches! Let us know what you are doing:

Email: postbox@nutrition.org.uk

Twitter using the #BNFHEW17: @Foodafactoflife @BNFEvents

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© British Nutrition Foundation 2017

How do you get started?

Decide who is going to coordinate the Week Get support from management Plan your timetable for the Week Choose to follow BNF’s challenge timetable or adapt this to best suit your organisation. You could focus on all five challenges or just those most relevant to your organisation. Plan your activities for the Week Choose activities to support the challenges. You can refer to pages 4-8 for ideas, or ask your colleagues and catering staff to provide suggestions. If hosting BNF Healthy Eating Week events, assign colleagues to help They may want to consider who will help set up events, what guests to invite and how to promote the event. Contact local organisations to support your Week For example, invite a yoga instructor to run a lunchtime class on your ‘Get active’ day. Publicise the Week To ensure maximum participation from everyone in your organisation, promote BNF Healthy Eating Week, its purpose and the five challenges prior the beginning of the Week. You may want to use BNF Healthy Eating Week template emails, video shorts, posters and logos.

Keep your colleagues updated As you finalise the Week’s activities and events, send update emails to your colleagues to keep them updated. Final update The week before BNF Healthy Eating Week, provide colleagues with a final timetable of the Week’s events and activities. BNF Healthy Eating Week During the Week, share pictures and stories on social media and see what other organisations are doing. Tweet @BNFEvents and @Foodafactoflife using the hashtag #BNFHEW17.

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© British Nutrition Foundation 2017

Resources BNF resources

Downloadable BNF Healthy Eating Week posters for the five challenges.

Downloadable BNF Healthy Eating Week tracker to support your challenges.

Downloadable BNF Healthy Eating Week logo and icons to add to your own resources/promotional material.

BNF Healthy Eating Week workplace quiz.

BNF Healthy Eating Week recipes.

Template emails about the Week to share with colleagues.

Video shorts about the challenges.

Social media resources – support to help inform others about what you are doing during the Week.

Downloadable BNF Healthy Eating Week certificate for your workplace. Other resources

Public Health Responsibility Deal - to support the UK workforce lead healthier lives.

The Eatwell Guide booklet - a booklet explaining the Eatwell Guide, including how to achieve a healthy balanced diet.

Change4Life Be Food Smart app – an app that provides information on the sugar, saturated fat and salt content of foods.

Change4life smart recipes - healthy recipe ideas.

Change4life easy drink swaps - ideas on how to drink less alcohol.

Change4life Sugar Swaps app - an app that reveals how much sugar is in everyday food and drinks.

Healthy breakfasts - healthy breakfast ideas from NHS choices.

NHS Couch to 5K - a running plan for beginners.

NHS BMI healthy weight calculator - an online Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator.

NHS Calorie checker – check the calories of over 150,000 food and drinks.

NHS Weight loss guide – combines advice on healthy eating and physical activity.

One You drinks tracker- an app to track your alcohol consumption.

One You quiz - an online quiz from Public Health England which generates personalised health advice based on your lifestyle.

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© British Nutrition Foundation 2017

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Notes