Are your employees still hitting the fast food drive thru? Brown bag lunches used to be dreaded. After all, who can eat yet another PB&J sandwich? But today, those brown bag lunches are trendy and highly encouraged! Share these simple reasons why brown bagging is the “cool thing to do” in your next worksite wellness newsletter, and encourage your employees to jump on the bandwagon:
· Better control over calories –When the work day slips by, and hunger takes over, it is easy to dive into that Super-Sized container of French fries or the fat laden hamburger. Instead, having a packed lunch that is healthy right next to you can help you stay on track with your health goals.
· Variety is easy – The days of the PB&J sandwich are gone. Today, brown bag lunches mean pitas and hummus, edamame, healthy salads, and delicious leftover dinners. There doesn’t need to be monotony in lunches that are brought from home; get as creative as you want! Check out the variety of cool new lunch containers that are available,too.
· Keeping up the energy – There is no doubt about it, work is hard; which means your employees need plenty of energy. The only way to get the type of energy that lasts and does not crash, come mid-day, is to eat a good mix of healthy proteins and complex carbohydrates. This nutrition is not found in the drive thru lane; it is found in healthy lunches that include low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, and a handful of nuts, trail mix, peanut butter, or other healthy proteins.
· Save money – Who doesn’t love to save money? Sometimes that simple fact alone is enough to encourage employees to pack their own lunches. It is definitely more cost-effective to pack your own lunch. And with all that money you save, you can plan something fun!