Posts from — June 2010

Interest in increasing physical activity ranks nearly as high as weight control in staff member interest and need. Ideas for increasing staff member awareness and participation in physical activities follow –

• Fitness classes in the worksite –  Onsite exercise could be much more convenient for workers. Notwithstanding, on-site classes require logistical planning and coordination with attention to details.

Onsite courses are normally more feasible for larger companys. as part of the steps in planning and assessment, consult with other wellness programs offering worksite classes. Ask what their experience has been like.

Talk to potential vendors in the area as well. Find out what it would take to offer an on-site fitness class. YMCA’s, fitness clubs, and community recreation programs are good resources for this type of discussion.

It’s also feasible to offer a “mini” introductory worksite class series. A mini series might consist of an introduction to a new physical activity area. Staff Members are then expected to make the transition to home or community based programs.

• Nerf Olympics –  Nerf games are fun (and entertaining) activities that encourage movement, flexibility, stress reduction, and usually are a good laugh. When planning such an activity consider establishing up a “challenge” stations with various activities.

Ideas for activities include hula hoop contests, Nerf basketball free throws, Nerf football tosses, Frisbee “golf”, jump rope, etc. the Wellness Team will lay out the course.

Each participant goes through the stations and gets a “gold” medal (you can buy these at party stores and toy stores inexpensively) for completing all of the stations (no matter how badly they perform).

Begin each participant at intervals permitting for smooth running, but expect high difficulty stations to be backed up. This delay can add to the fun and creates a “keystone cops” scenario.

Nerf Olympics is a good activity to do with an audience, so encourage cheering colleagues.

• Offer incentives to employees who engage in aerobic activity such as walking, running and biking on their own time (see goal establishing program, offer points toward prizes, etc.).

• Distribute maps of walking/jogging trails located near the workplace. Mark distances in steps and miles. Be certain to encourage staff members to walk during lunch and/or break times.

Post a steps collected map on a workplace wall where staff members can log their steps or miles. Check with CIS Healthy Benefits representative regarding pedometers and physical activity kits.

• Make sure to encourage joggers, walkers, and those who enjoying other forms of exercise to form exercise groups to meet before work, at lunch, or after work.

• Promote the use of stairs in lieu of elevators. Place bulletin boards, art contests, etc., in stairwells.

• Sponsor “Bicycle-to-Work” or Walk-to-Make certain to work week.

• Schedule five-minute desk stretching at the worksite. This can relieve repetitive motion problems in addition to eye and back strain.

• Sponsor a personal challenge activity such as “Climb a Mountain” or “Swim a Sea”. This is an honor system program in which participating staff members are awarded minutes, steps, or miles credit for cardiovascular activity (swimming, walking, running, skiing, biking, stair stepping, group fitness, etc.).

The object of this type of challenge is to accumulate the equivalent mileage it would take to reach the top of a famous mountain, span a body of water (swim the Columbia River), or reach a distant city/county.

Try personalizing the challenge as much as possible to individual interests and/or area geographical matches close to the workplace.

• Collect a selection of exercise video or DVD tapes. Workers can either take a look at a tape for home use, or offer a group activity video class.

• If it isn’t possible for staff to leave the building to exercise or workout at lunch, try establishing an in-house aerobic walking track for staff member use in an unused part of the worksite for lunch, break or after hours use.

An example of how this issue may  be solved is the use of stationary bikes and other small exercise equipment provided for staff by some 911 call centers.

• Sponsor a “Personal Best” Challenge”. Employees run, walk, bike, etc. their own personal best time. Repeat the personal best challenge each quarter to six months. Each time an staff member improves, offer recognition and an appropriate award.

Also, recognize those workers who maintain their personal best in the same way. Make sure to encourage non-participating workers to get involved.

Assist these individuals in selecting  an activity that is comfortable and of interest for them, and one in which they can succeed and progress.

• When you offer an introductory or other onsite exercise class or activity, be certain the instructor can relate to the audience, and the audience can relate to the instructor.

Have a Wellness Committee member attend a current class by the selected instructor class prior to the instructor conducting a class at worksite. Additionally, consider the staff members who may  be potentially attending the class.

Sometimes larger and/or older exercise instructors are often better accepted by audiences who are similarly sized and aged.

• Sponsor a themed “virtual” trek. Calculate the mileage for the proposed “trip” ahead of time. Make sure that the distance is appropriate for the number of expected participants and time for the event (six to eight weeks) works well.

For longer events, small teams can accumulate their mileage for the trip. Establish a reporting network. Post a map to track the trip. Chart the progress with stick pins, a magic marker, or a highlighter.

Give a brief humorous fictional narrative of the trip, posting a new one each week. Include as many participants’ names as possible. Alternate posting humorous texts with health tips along the way. Give an incentive after the trip.

Ideas for Exercise Themes –

• Swim the Mississippi to the Mardi gras.

• Take a tour to all Oregon counties.

• Take a tour of Oregon from Enterprise to Brookings.

• Run or walk around the world (25,000 miles).

• Tour de France (take all summer)

• Tour de France on a stationary bike (take all winter)

• Indianapolis 500

• Climb Mount Everest (stairs or stair climbers). Target Sir Edmund Hilary’s birthday or the anniversary of the first conquest as a completion date.

• Climb Mount Washington or Mt. Hood. Target President’s Day as a completion date.

• Climb any significant mountain and tie it to any remotely related event.

• Use time in exercise as a measurement for the contest rather than distance. This permits you to treat all forms of aerobic exercise more equitably.

Staff Members generally enjoy sharing nutritional tips and trying new foods. Sponsor a “nutrition cook-off” and/or healthful potlucks.

• Nutrition cook-off. Teams of employees set a menu in advance and bring in prepared foods for an official competition. A nutritionist from the health department or local hospital or community serves as the judge.

Dishes and foods are examined based on both health considerations and taste. Following the event, a cookbook of the teams’ recipes may be created and distributed to the entire staff.

• Cholesterol Control or “Down Under” Club. Individuals  with cholesterol over 200 mg. are invited to voluntarily participate. the invitation needs to be extended to all workers as the Wellness Team won’t have (nor should have) access to individual health information.

Offer a selection of services to assist in reducing cardiac risks. Gordian Health Solutions offers cholesterol management health programs for workers qualifying by cholesterol score.

When an staff member gets cholesterol numbers below 200 in six months, provide an incentive such as a prize to continue progress. Continue to supply information and reminders for continued cholesterol control.

• Label reading contest. Designate a particular food or food category. Staff Members must find the designated products with the lowest/highest fat content in the supermarket. Give coupons or other prizes for predetermined number of winners or participants.

Or, provide samples of healthier food options based on label information. Show how these compare to less healthful options. Display results of the contest in the staff member break room or at an staff member brown bag event.

Other Wellness Program Nutrition Suggestions –

• Provide freshly brewed decaffeinated coffee and herbal tea.

• Sponsor a healthful food “bake-off” once a year.

• Give sugar and salt substitutes in the lunchroom.

• at meetings, replace sweet rolls and donuts with bran muffins, wholewheat bagels, or fresh fruit. Consider offering other decaffeinated coffee and herbal teas plus no-sugar fruit juices.

• Serve free popcorn in the break area.

• Develop a cookbook featuring healthful recipes contributed by workers.

• Fruit or veggie of the week (or month). Display an “exotic” fruit or vegetable in your lunchroom and see if colleagues know what it is. Workers can put their name and the name of the item on an index card.

These can be used to conduct a prize drawing at the end of the week from the cards with the correct answer. to add fun, encourage individuals  to put down funny answers when in doubt of the real name of the item.

Read some of those names during the prize drawing, and provide a prize for the most creative name. Divide the fruit or vegetable at the drawing and let those interested taste it. Be sure it could be eaten raw.

Unusual food items like star fruit are now readily available in supermarkets work well for this activity as many people  have not tried these kinds of produce.

Weight management is a major area of both worker interest and need. BMI  is the clinical measure that indicates whether people  are in a healthy weight range or are overweight or obese.    

The BMI is a measure of a person’s overall height to their overall weight. Height and weight are measured during the worker medical screening. A computer mathematical calculation provides the BMI score.    

Ideas for worksite based weight management programs include –    

• Have Weight Watchers, TOPS, or other reputable weight control groups meet in your workplace or nearby. Offer such groups before/after work or during lunchtime. Worker attendance is typically better if workers can attend either wholly or partially on work time.

Break times could  be rolled into lunch break times to minimize employee time away from work duties (with management approval). Employees normally pay their own fees for class attendance and supporting materials.

• When the wellness program offers incentives based on participation, award a completion gift when employee has attended a certain number of weight control sessions or activities.

• Supply information regarding community weight management groups.

• Incentives such as cash, tee shirts, plaques, certificates, hours/days off, names on bulletin boards can be given to individuals who write a weight loss contract and meet their goal.

• Establish a workplace commitment to offer alternative healthful snacks at business-sponsored meetings. Healthful snacks such as fruit, pretzels, plain popcorn, almonds, and veggies provide demonstration as to the business’s commitment to health and staff member well being.

Every workplace will have workers who’ll not participate in offered corporate wellness activities. But these same workers might  be following many healthful practices in their daily living.

A good wellness program should give these people  credit and recognition for their good work.

Recognition of healthy goal setting and goal achievement is a good approach for reinforcing what individuals  are doing on their own outside of work, and for reaching those who don’t like group activities.    

Suggested steps for individual objectives and recognition include –    

• A form employees can fill out which includes the set goal(s) and a target date for completion.   

• Information on establishing realistic goals, as individuals  often overestimate what they are able to do and by when. It’s good to remind workers “baby steps” count!   

• Maintain a confidential file of the submitted employee goal forms in a dated “tickler” system.   

• Send a reminder to each worker at the time of each participant’s goal date. This reminder could be a copy of their original goal form. Ask for employee’s feedback regarding their goal(s) –  completed the goal, need an extension, or have discontinued the goal.   

• When the form is returned from an employee –    

   1) When an staff member has completed the goal, a certificate of completion is received along with a prize or incentive item linked to the goal (if possible).

   2) When the staff member renegotiates the deadline or the goal, the form is re-filed for future follow-up. Continue to encourage the staff member.

   3) When the goal is canceled, send a note acknowledging this “good try” and encourage the employee to attempt again when the timing is right.

• Allow those interested in this process to set goals any time and as often as they want.   

Walking Club

Walking clubs or “trekking” can either be done in real time (by scheduling walking groups), or clubs could be set it up so people  do their walking on their own and keep a shared log at work.

After a certain number of miles or steps are logged, staff members are eligible for membership into the walking “club” and receive something like a prize (a walking pin, similar to the ones that volkswalkers get, or a certificate of membership).

Ways to continue interest in walking groups include –

• Periodic announcements about community walking events. Keep abreast of events in the community, Parks and Recreation programs, available tracks, inside walking options, volkswalking events, etc.

• Periodic information specific to walkers; like what to look for when buying a pair of walking shoes.

• Consider a workplace team to participate in a local fundraiser walk, like the March of Dimes walk.

• A walking club can be the type of “club” that never really meets, or it can be the type that does provide the option for those who are interested in group walks and events.

Health Awareness Video Programming

A lot of good health related videos and DVDs are available through loan programs either at no or low costs. Pick video programming based on worker interests and needs.

• Schedule periodic health video viewings during lunchtime brown bag sessions.

• the videos may be related to health or other related wellness topics like financial planning, caring for aging parents, or even humor as a “break” from the work routine.

• Be certain to preview videos before showing them to insure they are appropriate, not too long, etc.

• Have a Wellness Committee Host moderate the viewing, greet individuals , and lead a brief discussion after the video. Develop one or two questions for discussion after previewing the video and use these to lead the discussion. Many health videos come with group discussion questions.

• Attempt to supply a pertinent educational  pamphlet for participants to take with them for more information on the topic.

• If possible, provide popcorn or fruit as a snack.

• Offer a prize drawing (or points when you’re doing that kind of incentive program) for those attending the video program and discussion.

Wellness Mentors

Every workplace ordinarily has at least a couple of staff members who have successfully made changes in their health. Often, other staff members will relate to one of their peers. Colleague support can go a long ways in encouraging healthful changes.

• Seek volunteers from the work force who have experienced a disease resulting from an unhealthful behavior, or survived or recovered from a disease that just happens like breast cancer, and who have successfully made positive changes.

• Connect these success story staff members with staff members struggling with similar health issues.

• Both employees participating in the mentoring process are doing so on a voluntary basis. Respect the privacy of this very special relationship.

• A Wellness Committee individuals may be involved from a peripheral standpoint, and be available to share other resources that could  be valuable to both staff members.

Create and offer “free” health information resources as part of the overall corporate wellness strategy. Reliable information is available free, or at very low cost, through many resource areas.

Ideas and resources will be suggested here. Also review the Resource and Website listings at the end of this guide for additional ideas and resources.

Wellness Bulletin Board Ideas

Most workplaces have at least one worker bulletin board located in a central area. Obtain permission to use part of that bulletin board as the “Wellness Corner”, or obtain management approval to develop a bulletin board dedicated to wellness. Wellness bulletin board suggestions include –

• White 8 1/2″ x 11″ flyers will be ignored. Use color or nonstandard size and shape when possible.

• Change your bulletin boards often. When they remain the same too long, they become “white noise.”

• Play “Dialing for Dollars” to elevate bulletin board attention. Make a random phone call and ask an employee to name the health fact of the day as listed on the health bulletin board. Award nominal prizes to winners.

Use an “activities calendar” with targeted advertisements, football schedules, recipes, etc. that will encourage keeping the calendar updated and utilized.

• Post or email quick tips on health. Get tips from the Hope Health website at – http – //www.hithope.com/main.php?dir=content&file=health_tips.txt.

Wellness Library

Create an employee library in a central area that has easy employee access. Resources and ideas for the library could include –

• A local medical resources guide with referral lists to help staff members hook up with resources if onsite resources cannot be provided. Keep referral lists in a 3-ring binder and update monthly.

• A brief, periodic wellness newsletter or update flyer distributed to workers via their paycheck or department meetings. It’s easy to make use of the monthly CIS Healthful Benefits staff member update for this purpose.

• A variety of consumer books, magazines, videos, and articles related to good health. Solicit staff member donations of current titles and recyclable items.

Be certain to encourage workers to checkout materials for loan. Update resources regularly. Consider using some CIS Healthy Benefits corporate wellness grant funds for good library resources.

• Healthful resources are available at local libraries. Publicize those resources within your on-site wellness library.

• Health magazines could be kept in the staff member break area.

• Download extra copies of the CareWise quarterly newsletter from the CIS website at http – //www.cciservices.com, Healthful Benefits, and circulate these in employee break room areas.

• Create a consumer health information bin that is updated with articles and pertinent information regarding consumerism and health care. Check the resource listings after this guide for more ideas.

• Free  brochure materials could be obtained from local non-profit agencies (American Red Cross, Heart Association, Cancer Society, Lung Association), and made available in staff member areas.

See website listings and other resources in the back of this guide for additional ideas regarding free health resources.

New Year’s Resolution Bulletin Board

• Have staff members voluntarily write down their health-related New Year’s resolutions on 3″ x 5″ index cards with their names on the back.

• Post the cards in the form of a collage on the wellness bulletin board.

• Leave the cards up for about two weeks, and then store them in a secure wellness file.

• Post the cards near the end of February to remind staff members of their objectives and self-commitments.

• Take the cards down again after another week and again store in a secure file.

• Mail the cards back to the person along with wellness program promotions or other information announcements at the end of March.

• Throughout the year, continue to offer wellness opportunities, support groups, or related activities.

The feasibility of worksite based wellness courses depends on the size of the workforce. Worksite programs have to be supported with an adequate number of interested workers to keep a class going.

Usually a certain level of employee involvement is also necessary to ensure availability of facilities such as a room and equipment.

There are wide ranges of ongoing courses which can be offered in the worksite, including aerobics, yoga, tai chi, stretching, weight management, stress management, use of tobacco cessation, and self defense.

Depending on results from an interest survey, offering an “introductory” mini class series regarding a topic of high interest might  be a good starting idea.

For example, offer a series of five beginning yoga classes to acquaint staff members with the posture and relaxation advantages of yoga. After an introductory series, staff members may want to pursue something on their own in the community.

Or, possibly an worker interest group could develop where interested workers would pursue the chosen activity as a group.

Who Pays for What When? (Worker Subsidies and Discounts)

Many employees and wellness teams are underneath the impression that the employer ought to pay for all wellness activities. Don’t forget the employer is compensating the bulk of the employee’s health and benefits package.

When vacation time, insurance costs, and sick costs are all factored in, the average American corporation spends very close to $10,000 per year per employee on related health, time off, and lost productivity costs.

Health is a personal responsibility and a gift we can all give to ourselves. Be certain to help staff members increase their understanding and appreciation of self-care for their health by encouraging their share of accountability for healthy and safe living and working.

Other ways of financing worksite based wellness activities and to also “internally” motivate workers are included here –

Subsidies

When there is a budget but not enough space or staff to offer on-site courses that are available elsewhere (like Weight Watchers, health clubs exercise classes, Jazzercise, hospital community ed programs, etc.), a subsidy can be offered to those who take advantage of these community resources.

Establish guidelines ahead of time about eligibility and maximum reimbursement, conditions for reimbursement, whether proof of participation is required and what form it ought to take (receipts, log forms, etc).

The wellness policy also needs to address whether someone is eligible one time only, once a year, every five years, etc. for reimbursements.

• Subsidies work best when the employee puts out the money and effort first, and then gets a partial reimbursement or completion gift based on some sort of attendance or participation completion.

• the reimbursement must be big enough to be worth the trouble of beginning the program, but shouldn’t cover the entire cost the program.

• It’s easy to get carried away with requiring “proof” in these kinds of programs. Do not make it too bureaucratic or no one will use it. It is important to remember no matter how well your policies are set up, there will be people , usually very few, who cheat-that’s unavoidable and should not become the major focus of documentation requirements.

• Consider appropriate participation gifts in place of financial reimbursement. for example, if an employee meets attendance criteria for a stretching class, provide a stretching strap or yoga mat as the completion gift.

• Be sure to check with the management team regarding policy for subsidies, tax reporting, etc.

Discounts and Donations

Employee discounts and donations could be sensitive areas for public companys and workers. In many jurisdictions, public workers are not permitted to receive any kind of special consideration, including discounts, from local companies, providers, or providers.

Make certain to check organizational ethics and procurement policies before asking for discounts.

When management policy does allow for discounts and donations, the whole solicitation process needs to be conducted fairly and spelled out in writing. All interested, certified providers, and service providers should have a fair unbiased opportunity to participate when they so choose.

No inappropriate advantages are given to one provider over another respecting access to staff members, publicity, etc. No provider or service provider must be promised or guaranteed additional revenue, business, or anything else when they select to voluntarily offer a donation or discount to staff members.

Follow the same donation and/or solicitation policies when offering vendor door prizes or gifts at an corporation-sponsored wellness fair.

Hollywood Stars or American Celebrities

This is another fun activity focusing on healthful weight loss or maintenance.

• Participants select a secret code name (the name of a Hollywood star or other celebrity).

• Participants weigh-in with a “trusted” confident privately – at which time a healthy weight goal is set for the period of the contest.

• Post a chart with everybody’s secret name assigning each a starting weight of zero.

• Participants weigh themselves weekly and submit the weight with their code name on the paper.

• Weight is expressed in relation to a beginning weight of zero. for example +4 would indicate a weight gain of four pounds; while -2 would indicate a weight loss of two pounds.

• Future weigh-ins ought to be in relation to the beginning weight, not the previous week’s weight.

• the chart is kept current and posted publicly by Wellness Committee.

• Post a “weight control hint of the week” next to the tracking chart.

• Give “take one”  brochures on weight management education or motivational tips by the chart.

• Celebrate worker progress at the end of the activity.

Wellness Book/Journal Club and/or Book Exchange

Similar to any other book discussion group, the readings and focus of this group is health. With a broad “health” definition, many subjects can be appropriate including communication, self-improvement, relationships, money management, environment, ecology, recreation, cooking, etc.

Let the group select the topics and books. Another suggested idea is to establish a book swap area where readers can trade the book(s) for those that others have left for trade.

Pre-Make certain to work Stretching Group

Several minutes of gentle stretching is a excellent way to safely begin the workday. A professional fitness instructor might  be brought in to teach proper stretching techniques.

After that, most often an internal group can meet and run itself. Offer periodic refresher sessions with the trainer or instructor to vary the routine and help keep participants motivated.

Considerations for workplace stretching –

• Be sure to work with your Management Team for stretching endorsement.

• Stretches must be taught by a knowledgeable and licensed individuals.

• Even though pre-work stretches are done on an employee’s personal time, the question of business liability will likely arise, specifically when someone reports an associated stretching injury.

Check with your corporation’s legal counsel and/or contact your corporation workers’ compensation carrier to help in design of an staff member release of liability waiver.

Worksite Chair Massage

Bring in a licensed massage therapist to offer chair massage at the employees’ expense. These massages are done fully clothed with the recipient seated in a chair.

The therapist brings in a special chair that fully supports the head and shoulders while an upper body massage is given. Sessions are usually 15 minutes, with an average cost between $12.00 – $15.00 per session.

Post a sign up sheet with appointments at intervals recommended by the therapist. Be certain the therapist is qualified. It’ll be necessary to provide a private space. A group of “regulars” may evolve which could establish a regular massage schedule.

Obtain an agreement with management so workers can trade massage time for coffee or personal break time.  Note –  management may want the therapist to supply proof of liability insurance.

Art at Work

Art may be a good way to nurture employees’ creative side and help them manage stress at the same time. Bring in various art and craft supplies once a month and let the creative juices flow.

When participants are willing, have a temporary “art show” later that day. Or, feature employee art during certain months or times of the year. Make certain to encourage staff members to post their art in their personal workspaces.

Healthy Email-a-Week

Create an email list of colleagues who want to receive an inspirational, funny or educational health quote, thought, tip or idea once a week by email.

Ask members of the Wellness Committee to collect ideas initially, and then ask the members of the email list to contribute ideas and information as time goes on. Follow all business rules regarding work time and email protocols.

Hobby Show or Demonstrations

Hobbies are excellent stress management tools. Make sure to encourage employees to show off their talents by sponsoring a “hobby fair” or demonstration. Send around a sign up sheet.

See who would be willing to bring in samples of their hobby, and maybe even do a live demonstration. Fairs or demonstrations could be scheduled as a group activity or brown bag that permits interested workers to interact.

Or, hobby sharing may be done in groupings by topic over a scheduled period of time, authorizing for a brief presentation and/or demonstration by the hobbyist.

Brown bag presentations are a good way to create awareness about selected health topics. Community health specialists will often provide presentations of a half hour or less at no charge.

Use employee interest surveys to follow up on employee interests that are expressed. the definition of health is broad, so brown bag presentations might also cover a wide variety of topics. Topics may include physical, mental, emotional, women’s health, men’s health, financial health, etc.

Considerations for brown bag presentations –

• Brown bag sessions are excellent for awareness building. This seed planting process can help workers become more proactive about healthful choices.

• Do not schedule the program for the full hour – typically 40 minutes or so works best. This will allow folks a chance to come and go, grab a quick bite, ask questions, etc.

• If the subject matter is sensitive, like domestic violence, substance abuse, etc., it is possible people  will be reluctant to attend for fear of being associated publicly with the problem. They will, nevertheless, attend if the focus is on assisting family members, peers, etc.

• Ensure that workers hear valuable information and will leave with tools and resources to carry out the message. Make certain to work with the presenter on information strategies that work for your employee group.

• Promotional materials should publicize the program with a name that indicates the brown bag focus. Include all other pertinent information like where, who, when, etc.

• Some topics that cannot be covered in one session may  be offered in a short series. It’ll work best to schedule one session each week in lieu of several sessions in one week.

For  instance, you may offer a 3-week series on healthy consuming instead of attempting to cram all the information into one session.

• A catchy title can draw individuals  to the event. an example of this would be calling lunchtime presentations “Noonlighting”

• If possible, provide a free healthful snack for employees who attend.

• to keep the momentum going, try establishing up a routine monthly time and day for lunchtime seminars.

• When employees work in shift or are in work groups in different geographical areas, devise a plan that offers equal attendance opportunity to all.

Resources –

1. Please see the idea list after this guide which offers a selection of resource topics of interest to staff members.

2. Every community has many individuals, experts, or experts from voluntary groups (heart, cancer, lung associations), special interest groups (Y’s, Red Cross, Weight Watcher’s, Safety Council, Alcoholics Anonymous), or the local health department as possibilities to present worksite sessions free or at a low cost.

Many of these contacts will also provide affordable materials.

3. Topic videos could be used for a brown bag session.

Often people  shy away from low fat foods because they think these foods do not taste good. to help inform workers, purchase a selection of low fat foods and put them out in a conference room for an hour or so for a drop-in tasting session.

Or, arrange for low-fat potlucks encouraging employees to bring and share their favorite low fat or healthful dishes.

Considerations –

• Make certain the selections actually taste good.

• Provide a “fact sheet” with the names and price of the various products to assist participants when they want to buy these products from the grocery store.

• Provide other written information on good nutrition for any interested participants to take. Make use of websites and other resources listed in the Resource Section after this guide.

• Provide small tasting spoons or wooden ice cream tasters.

• It doesn’t take much of each item to give participants a taste of the food or dish. It is not necessary to purchase enough, or bring enough, food to provide a meal.

• Make sure to set up the tasting room after lunch so participants can go in on their own and sample.

• Watch for overly sugary items…sometimes low fat means high sugar – so be certain to check the label.

• Typical purchases for a worksite sampling could include –  two boxes of low fat crackers, a package of low fat cheese, a box of low fat cookies, two or three low fat spreads such as hummus, low fat cream cheese, a package of honey nut or other flavored rice crackers, and one or two other low fat items.

• Put signs on the table politely reminding participants that the idea is to sample, not have a meal.

• Offer a beverage such as a new kind of fruit juice or herbal tea.