Employee productivity is necessary for your business to survive and thrive. When you think about it, you might be forgetting one of the most obvious and straightforward strategies to boost staff productivity: FOOD. It may be time to reconsider what your firm offers in terms of productivity-boosting office snacks.
The nutrients we eat to fuel our bodies have a greater impact on our performance than most people realize, according to Harvard Business Review. After being absorbed, the components in your food enter your bloodstream and affect how you move, feel, and think. Blame your food the next time you’re tired and can’t seem to concentrate on a task.
Another study, done with over 20,000 employees from three large U.S. companies, found that those who ate an unhealthy diet were 66 percent more likely to suffer productivity loss than their coworkers who consumed fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
All of this demonstrates the power of food: it fuels the most energizing and inspiring part of our workday. Food, in addition to water and sleep, has a significant effect on our motivation and concentration levels throughout the day.
Food and Productivity
Do you ever wish you could get more done throughout your workday without crashing in the late afternoon? We’ve all been there, and it stinks.
Who’s to blame? Your BRAIN. Despite accounting for only 2% of your body weight, your thinking organ accounts for more than 20% of your total energy consumption, which means it is constantly in need of good nourishment to perform efficiently.
So, what are your options? The solution is simple: eat healthy snack foods that will help you increase your productivity and achieve your workplace objectives! A balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber will fuel and stimulate your brain, allowing you to be as productive and creative in your everyday tasks as you like.
Food also improves performance. Food delivers glucose, which permits the brain to stay attentive. Here’s an interesting fact: Glucose is required to support the daily firing of messages in your brain. When your brain is dealing with mentally demanding work, it uses a lot of glucose, and low glucose levels can swiftly result in cognitive damage.
So, if you’re munching on donuts and potato chips at midday, you’re probably losing productivity by 1 PM.
To summarize, the most influential variable you can manage in terms of the health, vitality, and efficiency of your precious brain is your food choices. You can kiss your dreams of a fruitful day goodbye if you don’t give it the energy it needs to work!
Selecting the Right Office Fuel
You don’t have to work for a health or fitness company to understand the importance of having healthy snacks on hand. Because employees are the lifeblood of any company, what’s good for them is good for productivity – and nutritious snacks are one of the most effective ways to nourish and care for them.
Therefore, if you want to improve your company culture, start by considering your snacks. Offering healthy snacks, such as fresh fruit, raw veggies, and whole-grain crackers is a terrific approach to improving your workplace culture.
Let your employees know you care about their overall health and well-being, and you’ll show them that you’re a company worth sticking within the long run.
And if you’re looking for particular snacks that will keep your staff energized, focused, and sharp throughout the day, you came to the right place.
12 Snacks That Boost Productivity
Trail Mix
Making a trail mix is a terrific approach to acquiring a healthy balance of nutrients and fat levels because each nut has its own nutrients and fat levels. This hearty combination of nuts and dried fruits contains a nice balance of all three macronutrients–healthy fats, protein, and carbohydrates. Furthermore, both foods are high in fiber, which can help you feel full in between meals.
A potion the size of a golf ball should be plenty to keep your employees’ energy levels up without making them unhealthy throughout the day. This makes trail mix an excellent choice if you need to sustain your energy levels for extended periods.
Greek Yogurt
Plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt is a wonderful workplace snack because it’s high in protein, giving employees a boost of energy. It’s also high in probiotics, which boost immunity and alleviate stomach problems.
It also contains vitamin B12 which helps with red blood cell production, cognitive function, and DNA synthesis.
This super-snack contains tyrosine, an amino acid that creates both dopamine and noradrenaline, in addition to the previously mentioned benefits. These neurotransmitters aid in mood and behavior enhancement. If you want to increase workplace productivity, Greek yogurt can be the perfect solution.
Granola Bars
Granola bar stores nicely in your employees’ desk drawers for a fast snack and it can give them other health benefits. Apart from being a good source of protein and fiber, granola bars are often made of rolled oats, honey, and dried fruits and are recognized to be excellent energy boosters.
A granola bar provides concentrated energy without the use of unhealthy sugars. It provides the energy your employees require without causing sluggishness.
Overall, a Granola bar is an excellent way to increase office efficiency. Granola bars contain vitamins, minerals, and all of the nutrients your employees require to stay on their feet throughout the day.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a popular food that may be had at work, at home, or anytime you choose. For starters, a half-cup of dry oats provides nearly 70% of a day’s iron, 20% vitamin A, and 35% vitamin B-6, as well as carbohydrates and fiber.
A bowl of oats in the office can get your staff to the recommended 25 grams of glucose in the bloodstream for productivity peaks. But how will this be accomplished?
When you want your staff to perform at their best, you want their blood sugar levels to be sufficient enough. Of course, they’ll perform at their best when their blood sugar provides them with plenty of energy.
Energy Balls
Energy balls are commonly made with oats, nut butter, sugar, and other ingredients such as dried fruit and coconut. These are ideal for those chilly days when your employees are cooped up at their desks.
Energy balls are a filling combination of protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and fiber. Depending on the contents, each ball provides your employees with between 100 and 250 calories. Because energy balls are portable, they are ideal nutritious on-the-go snacks during a hectic workday.
Jerky
Jerky is a high-protein, shelf-stable food that can keep you satiated throughout the day. Beef jerky contains 8 grams of protein and only 70 calories per ounce (28 grams). It’s also high in iron, which is necessary for blood health and energy.
Choose uncured jerky with minimal additives and low sodium. For staff who don’t consume red meat, there’s also turkey, chicken, and salmon jerky.
Avocados
Avocados are high in monounsaturated fats that lower cortisol levels, and omega-3 fatty acids that improve mood. They’re high in folate, which helps to avoid the buildup of homocysteine, a chemical that can disrupt blood flow and nutrient delivery to the brain.
To put it another way, giving your staff avocados can help them get over the afternoon lull. Avocados will help reduce their stress and improve their overall well-being, which will help them be more productive.
Furthermore, studies have shown that the monounsaturated fats, fiber, and lutein present in avocados can increase memory and problem-solving abilities. Avocado is best eaten as a snack with whole-grain chips or crackers. Guacamole, which contains antioxidant-rich tomatoes and onions, amplifies their benefits.
Berries
There’s a reason blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are often on lists of the healthiest foods. The anti-inflammatory, anti-bloating, and appetite-suppressing properties of the berries go beyond that. They’ve also been linked to improved cognitive performance.
Berries are a powerful memory booster because they contain flavonoids, which have been shown to aid memory. Therefore, berries are one of the greatest nutritious office snacks available.
Furthermore, a handful of berries can help you stay attentive throughout the day. They’re not only high in vitamins and minerals, but they’re also low on the glycemic index, meaning they won’t spike your blood sugar, giving you steady and consistent energy to concentrate on your important tasks. Best of all, your staff can eat them on their own, add them to a salad, or blend them into a healthy smoothie!
Tuna
Tuna is an excellent source of protein that can be prepared and eaten in a variety of ways. Many dieters serve tuna over greens with a splash of lemon for a quick, healthful, protein-packed salad.
A serving of tuna provides 69 percent of your daily vitamin B6, which has been linked to motivation, per several studies. That’s because a shortage of B6 causes sadness, and it’s difficult to be productive when we’re not at our best.
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Employees will appreciate the convenience and nutrition of hard-boiled eggs. In fact, eggs provide a modest amount of nearly every vitamin that humans require.
One large egg (50 grams) contains more than 6 grams of protein, as well as iron, calcium, and vitamins A, B6, B12, and D. Eggs are high in choline, a B vitamin that has been shown to boost memory and reaction times.
Overall, eggs are an excellent workplace snack food. They’re cheap, portable, and can be a key component of your “eating for productivity” strategy for your staff!
Almond and Peanut Butter
Peanut butter has 8 grams of protein and 2-3 grams of fiber in one serving. This healthy snack is great on crackers or fresh fruit. It will fill your staff up and keep them going.
Choline, an essential ingredient that helps improve liver function, brain growth, muscular mobility, the neurological system, and metabolism, is also found in peanut butter. If you’re looking for a new way to spice up your workplace snacks, almond butter is a promising new option that also carries a hefty protein punch.
A tablespoon of almond butter has 3.4 grams of protein, 11% of your daily magnesium requirement, and 3% of your daily iron requirement.
Overall, these high-protein nut butters are fantastic office snacks!
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is high in nutrients, which help you perform better at work. Dark chocolate contains just the right amount of sugar and caffeine to give you the energy you need to get things done without the jitters that come with coffee.
Dark chocolate has been shown in studies to be beneficial to your health. Chocolate contains magnesium, which helps to reduce stress and anxiety. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids, just like berries. These can help you keep your mind sharp!
Finally, because this mineral is involved in the lowering of cortisol (the stress hormone), eating a piece of dark chocolate can help you relax and feel better. If you want to give your staff a small gift, dark chocolate is always a good choice!
The Best Office Snacks
Food is fuel. The day may drag on, but your employees don’t have to.
Not only will providing healthy snacks for team members help them meet deadlines, enhance productivity, and avoid falling asleep on their keyboards each afternoon, but it will also supply them with the fuel they need to function at their best.
If you’re looking for healthy snacks to help keep employees feeling great so they can focus on their work, contact Coffee Man Beverage Services in Orange County, CA. We will provide you with food snacks that will help you and your employees achieve your workday objectives!