A company that prioritizes employee wellness will ultimately nurture a thriving office culture with healthy and motivated employees. Nutritious food is a key factor in improving health and well-being, so organizations need to build corporate nutrition programs that support healthy lifestyles. With wellness top of mind for so many, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing a rising trend of corporate cafeterias featuring healthier menus. But making the change can be daunting.
That’s why we put together a list of the most impactful employee nutrition programs to inspire you. We also share tips and best practices to help you set up a program that works. Let’s take a look.
Before you go through the whole process of designing an employee nutrition program, you might be interested to learn why you should invest in one. Here are some of the business benefits of improving employee wellness through a corporate nutrition program.
According to the 2024 Aflac WorkForces Report, 4 out of 5 employees who believe employers care about them report high job satisfaction. You can show that you care by investing in their well-being. That’s where your workplace nutrition program comes in. A robust program allows you to serve delicious and balanced meals designed to support employee wellness.
Moreover, the 2025 report shows that 28% of employees consider perks to support their health and wellness as a critical contributor to work-life balance. When employees have a good work-life balance, they’re more likely to be satisfied with their job.
On a related note, when employees are satisfied, they’re more likely to stay longer with the company. The 2025 Aflac report shows that 56% of employees who believe their employers care about them aren’t very likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months. If your current food program is lackluster, introducing a fulfilling nutrition program could be the key to better employee retention.
When employees get their nutritional needs met, it gives them the physical and mental energy they need to focus on their work. This allows them to work faster and more productively. In fact, McKinsey reports that there’s a 10-21% improvement in productivity as a result of employee well-being interventions.
Additionally, a corporate nutrition program provides easy onsite access to healthy, nutrient-rich meals. Employees don’t have to go off-site to have lunch, which adds to overall time savings and productivity. Companies like BrenchPrep have been able to save at least 30 minutes a day by offering lunch at work.
Considering all the benefits, you may be excited to enrich your workplace wellness efforts with a robust employee nutrition program. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Building a successful corporate nutrition program goes beyond choosing a solution that works for you. You also need to set up the program for success by getting the basics right. This includes building health-focused menus and designing subsidization plans for better employee adoption.
Your menu can make or break your corporate nutrition program. Make sure to design a cafeteria menu that can sufficiently meet your employees’ health and wellness goals while still offering tasty options. Go beyond traditional selections like salads and wraps and include other healthy lunch ideas like customizable grain bowls and protein-packed meal bowls for greater versatility.
Consider the unique dietary needs of different employees and design menus for various health goals – whether it’s weight loss, heart health, or muscle-building. Be sure to build inclusive menus that cater to various allergies, sensitivities, and preferences, such as gluten-free, lactose-free, plant-based, and more.
Sticking to the same meal day in and day out can get pretty boring even for the most determined folks. Sure, a veggie donburi bowl sounds great today, but you don’t necessarily want to have it Monday through Friday. When developing your office lunch menu, be sure to offer plenty of variety so employees have more flexible meal choices.
Rotating cuisines is one of the easiest ways to do this. Think: Japanese today, Mexican tomorrow, Italian the next, and so on.
You could also bring in a rotating lineup of local restaurants to freshen things up. By having different restaurants cook on-site on different days of the week, you can easily beat menu fatigue and make it easier for employees to meet their wellness goals.
Freshly cooked meals not only taste better than meals that have been refrigerated or reheated, but they also retain more nutrients. They’re also easier to digest, helping promote digestive health. Yet employees with specific nutrition goals often have to resort to packing their own lunches and reheating them in the breakroom..
By providing freshly cooked food on-site, you make it easy for employees to access healthy meals that align with their wellness goals.
Look into workplace dining solutions that allow you to serve healthy meals, freshly prepared for your employees. Chef-driven restaurants are a popular option. You could set up resident restaurants where employees can choose from a set menu. Additionally, you could alternate between different guest restaurants throughout the week for more variety.
Between back-to-back meetings and looming deadlines, waiting for food to be cooked and then sitting down for lunch is simply not viable on some days. Sometimes, employees may have to sacrifice a healthy meal for the sake of convenience. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
With a robust corporate nutrition program, you can include healthy grab-and-go meals to strike the perfect balance. You could stock up your food pantry with convenient yet nutrient-rich options, such as ready-made artisanal sandwiches or green smoothies. So even on the busiest days, employees can just grab a quick lunch without missing their nutrition goals.
Develop a cafeteria menu that relies on seasonal produce so you can serve up dishes that use fresh and local ingredients. By considering seasonality, you’re using produce that’s harvested at peak ripeness, which tends to have a higher level of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
And since locally-sourced ingredients don’t have to travel far, they don’t lose their flavor or freshness during long-distance transport. This means they’re less likely to be exposed to chemicals like ripening agents or preservatives. It also means fresher, more flavorful dishes while helping you prioritize sustainability and support the local community.
Besides lack of access, cost may be a key factor preventing employees from choosing healthier, nutrient-rich meals. So even if there are plenty of fresh and healthy meal options, some employees may still choose unhealthy alternatives to save money.
Your corporate nutrition program is only successful if your employees participate in it. All the work you put into planning your menu and setting up your program will only go to waste if only a handful of employees are benefiting from it.
Encourage more employees to participate by adopting a wellness-focused subsidy structure. This involves offering nutrient-rich meals at subsidized prices and empowering employees to make healthy eating choices.
Fooda brings you flexible workplace dining solutions that align with your employee nutrition program. From on-site corporate cafeterias and restaurant popups to boxed lunch deliveries and pantry markets, Fooda makes it easy to build a nutrition program that works for you.
With solutions like Orange by Fooda, you can serve fresh and healthy meals prepared on-site by some of the best local chefs and restaurants. Rotate between different guest restaurants to offer a daily evolving menu boasting nutrient-rich dishes, such as grain bowls and artisanal sandwiches. No space for a kitchen at your worksite? No problem! Fooda’s network of local restaurants can also prepare your meals off-site and serve catered pop-ups in spaces with limited food prep capabilities.
Fooda makes healthy snacks and grab-and-go meals more accessible with workplace food pantries that you can scale and customize exactly according to your needs. With Fooda Pantry, you can keep your office stocked up on high-quality, locally sourced food and beverages to keep your employees refreshed and energized.
Fooda’s Office Lunch Delivery services bring freshly prepared meals from local restaurants straight to your office. This is a great way to streamline meal planning as employees place their individual orders from a daily rotating list of restaurants.
Looking for the right workplace food solution that aligns with your employee nutrition program? Get in touch with Fooda to find a corporate dining option that works for you.
