National Nutrition Month: Providing employees with delicious, healthy meal options
National Nutrition Month is celebrated annually every March and serves as a reminder to prioritize health and well-being through proper nutrition and lifestyle choices. Created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, this month-long observance is dedicated to promoting the importance of making informed food choices and developing healthy eating habits.
Although National Nutrition Month is only recognized in March, Jemma, a Human Resources Business Partner in Louisiana, has taken it upon herself to ensure employees at our site in Louisiana have access to healthy food options year-round.
Sourcing Locally
With very few dining options close our Louisiana sites, Jemma and her team knew that changes needed to be made to the food offerings provided to these employees. While typical vending machine snacks were available, there were little to no gluten-free, vegetarian or calorie-conscious meal options on-site.
“We wanted to make sure employees had the option to purchase a healthy meal for lunch as they do not have time to leave the site over their lunch break,” Jemma said. “However, we wanted to ensure that we weren’t taking away the items people relied on.”
As Jemma and team began to explore options, they didn’t have to look far – a local meal prep company in Slidell seemed to be the perfect fit.
“Our vendor vetted a few different meal prep options in the area and when we compared prices and variety, Optimize U was a clear winner,” Jemma said. “We wanted to bring in fun, new meal options while still offering the best sellers that everyone loved, and Optimize U was able to accommodate that perfectly.”
The team worked with Optimize U Ito bring healthy meal-prepped dishes to our Shipyard, such as red beans and rice, chicken marsala, baked salmon, spicy turkey meatballs and much more. With the new meal options available, in addition to fan favorite snacks and beverages, the new vending area was ready for business.
Since their inception, the Shipyard’s new meal and snack options have been proven to be a hit.
“Several employees have provided feedback that they appreciate that we saw their need for more options and took action on it,” Jemma said.
A Sweet Treat
With summer months ahead, the Shipyard is no stranger to Louisiana’s heat and humidity. However, with the new vending area, employees can now purchase ice cream as a sweet treat to help cool down.
“A lot of folks are excited to be able to buy ice cream as the hotter months approach,” Jemma said. “While you should keep healthy options in mind, it’s also important to continue stocking the big sellers and treats that everyone knows and loves.”
To learn more about National Nutrition Month, click here.