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Leading by Example
Several years ago, the Food Policy Council voted to adopt a Healthy Workplace Food & Beverage Toolkit: Guidance for Caterers and Food Vendors, led by our Healthy Food Access & Consumption working group.
This tool (filed under Resources on our website) is meant to guide members and partners in their choices when working with caterers and other food vendors, to ensure healthy options are available and prioritized.
This year, our parent organization, Green Umbrella, took the next step and created its own tailored Healthy Food and Beverage Guidelines for our workplace. We developed this institutional policy with our partners at the American Heart Association's Cincinnati office, and together we adapted the guidelines to meet our needs and practices. Now we have a go-to resource to guide us in choosing how to share healthy, fresh, and delicious foods with our colleagues, members, and community.
More from Our Partner
Angelica Hardee, PhD
Vice President, Health Strategies, American Heart Association
The American Heart Association believes that everyone deserves to live a healthier, longer life. Through our science-based knowledge, we empower people, communities, and organizations to build a sustainable culture of health. To support our health impact goal of helping all Americans improve their cardiovascular health, the American Heart Association encourages organizations and communities to create a healthy food and beverage environment.
Making healthy changes in places where people come together in community is an important way to help people be healthier. It also helps cultivate social norms that foster healthier choices and behaviors. The research is clear that eating nutritious foods and eating only enough to meet energy needs can reduce cardiovascular disease risk and promote wellness. In fact, consuming the right amounts of the right foods may be the single most important thing we can do for cardiovascular health!
Together, we can create an environment where the healthy choice is the easy choice.
This toolkit is designed for anyone involved with serving, preparing or purchasing food and beverages, from an on-site vending machine to an off-site special event involving catering. Our goal is to provide practical, actionable suggestions that are easy to understand and apply. You can modify the guidance we offer to fit the specific needs of your organization. The common goal of all AHA nutrition-related programs and initiatives is to empower individuals to adopt a heart-healthy eating pattern that works for them. Foods with varying amounts of calories, sodium, sugars, and fats can be part of a balanced and heart-healthy dietary pattern. The food and beverage guidance in this toolkit is intended for healthy adults. People with special medical needs or dietary restrictions should seek the advice of their health professionals.
🥗 In addition to adopting Healthy Food and Beverage Guidelines of your own, you can get involved with the Food Policy Council’s work on Institutions and Access & Education.