Look at What They're Doing!

FM Staff

L.L. Bean has imposed a "twinkie tax" on junk foods, raising the price of sweet and salty snacks in their cafes. They are using the profits to subsidize healthier foods.

Mortgage Lender's Network USA in Wallington, CT, incorporates herbs and vegetables grown onsite in the company's cafeteria, and eventually plans to stocked employee break rooms with complimentary snacks such as fruit from local orchards.

The Valley Health System in Ridgewood, NJ, offers a wellness program called "Reach Your Peaks" that helps employees identify and remedy health and nutrition related issues over the course of a year. "We help the staff set goals, and if they achieve those goals by the end of the year, they are awarded $250 for their personal success," says Regina Toomey, director food, nutrition and transportation.

Unidine, a regional management company in Boston, has a set of corporate initiatives to provide healthy alternatives at all food stations. Half-portions are always available, oils containing trans-fat are being eliminated, and they've launched a mutually beneficial partnership with local growers to promote sustainable agriculture.

Sodexho Inc. helped launch Mezza Luna, a combo-meal concept, at the University of Pittsburgh's Magee-Women's Hospital. Customers can pick up a bundled meal—half of a whole-wheat pizza and half of a salad, or half of a sandwich and fresh soup, along with a bottled water or low-calorie drink.

Porter Novelli a public relations firm in New York, offers a fruit bonus to employees by putting out baskets filled with oranges, apples and rotating ‘guest fruits' for employees to take as they wish. The company also offers nutrition information and eating tips.

Rockford Acromatic Products, a manufacturer of auto parts in Rockford, IL, has instituted "Fresh Fruit Fridays" when managers will buy apples, bananas, and other fruit, which are then set out in bowls in break areas. The food is free to the roughly 100 employees.

Florida Power & Light based in Juno Beach subsidizes healthier lunches for employees, but not unhealthy meals.

Regence Group in Portland, OR, offers employees a 35% discount for choosing healthful foods.

The U.S. Navy has begun rolling out a new core menu offering to promote healthy eating, save money and cut waste. The 21-day cycle menu that will replace the current 35-day menu cycles is designed to become the standard across all 343 shore-based Navy galleys and ships in the fleet.