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The Healthy Snack Box CaféWorkplaces Working
on Healthy Eating

• A Healthy Workplace Initiative at the
• NS Public Service Commission
• Presented by Jessika Quigley, BScAHN
• HWP Dietetic Intern
• Mount Saint Vincent University

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Introduction to the Café

• Officially opened July 14th, 2009 following
• Make your own Yogurt Parfait kick off event
  (July 7th)
• Initially planned to run as a 3 week pilot
  project
• Offered a wide variety of healthy snack food
  options to NS PSC employees on the 5th 4th
  floors of the WTCC
• Provide access to healthy foods at low prices to
  support employees efforts to eat healthier and
  make healthier food choices
• Cost-recovery, honor payment system

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What resulted?

• The Café operated from July 14th-August 21st (6
  weeks total)
• Several events took place that engaged staff as
  well as family to become educated about healthy
  foods
• Provided a convenient, economical and health
  benefiting service for all employees to use
• Increased nutrition knowledge amongst employees
• Created a positive atmosphere in the workplace
• Increased social interaction between employees
• Employees very supportive and appreciative of
  café

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Initial Research

• Magazine Article, In Your Workplace sparked
  idea (Apples oranges how to start a healthy
  snack box in your workplace)
• Visit to Heart Stroke Foundation looked at
  their healthy snack box operation
• Google Search articles, websites, etc.
• Google alerts including healthy eating in the
  workplace nutrition in employees, etc.
• Investigated Lean Machines business at Public
  Health looked at operations, products, etc.

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Survey Objectives

• Gather information from NS PSC employees on level
  of nutrition knowledge
• Find limitations that prevent healthy eating in
  workplace
• Assess level of interest employees had regarding
  the purchasing of healthy foods
• Determine what types of foods employees preferred
  to create an appealing menu
• Fresh produce
• Lunch items
• Beverages?

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Kick off event

• Make Your Own Yogurt Parfaits
• Invited all PSC WTCC employees to attend
• Promote the cafés location, service and products
  as well as provide an example of a healthy snack
  food
• Great turnout!

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The HSB café menu nutrition

• Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
• Whole grain, high fiber items
• Low in sodium added sugar
• Trans fat free low in saturated fats
• Low fat dairy lean protein sources
• High in nutrients, low in calories

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The HSB café menu employee

• Food preferences
• Dietary restrictions (allergies, intolerances,
  etc.)
• Nutritional concerns (high blood pressure, high
  cholesterol, diabetes, etc.)
• Healthy Weight Maintenance
• Economical
• Convenient

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Employee Tabs

• Honor System
• Employee Check List
• Weekly Tabs
• Notification through e-mail
• Absence of payment- carried to following week
• System ran smoothly

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Sales ?

• Friday Inventory Day
• Count all product and subtract from initial
• Amt. Sold x unit price
• Total sales calculated and compared to total owed
  from employee tabs
• Allow for slight dollar difference
• (due to human error, spoilage, etc.)

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Distributor

• All product was purchased in Bulk (Costco)
• Buying bulk allowed for stock which saved on
  trips to other retailers
• Grocery List updated each week
• Volunteer based so no additional fees besides
  cost of product

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Prices Profit

• Prices were set at cost-recovery
• Small profit made over 6 week duration
• Profit will go towards needs fund
• Purchase of mini fridge
• Future promotional events (such as yogurt parfait
  parties)
• Purchase of new product
• Allow for any spoilage or damaged product to be
  covered

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Policies Procedures

• Monday Thursday stock and general maintenance
  (food spoilage, shortage, etc)
• Friday inventory day employee tab
  notifications
• Health Canada Safe Fruit Vegetable Policy
• Healthy Env. Initiative waste management.
• HACCAP followed when preparing foods
• Bagged fresh veggies fruit, nuts, HWP mix
• Clean hands plastic gloves hair nets, etc.
• Preparation of all foods in sanitized kitchen
  area

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Advertising, Marketing Promotions

• Kick off Yogurt Parfait event
• Posters, emails, etc.
• Healthy Snack of the Week
• The Nutritionist is In event
• The Healthy Art Event
• Cost Comparisons
• Meal Makeovers

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Product Nutrition

• Developed HSB café nutrition guide
• Nutrition analysis for each product offered
• Made available in café for all employees to
  review
• Also incl. Tim Horton's nutrition guide for
  comparison
• Product Nutrition information was retrieved from
  product labeling as well as researching products
  on internet and applying nutrition knowledge in
  an understandable communication

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Huge Success

• Great job in setting up the café and pursuing
  it! I usually bring my own snacks but have
  greatly appreciated the convenience and very
  reasonable prices of having some healthy options
  a few steps away. I hope the service continues.
  Excellent job Jessika!

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Feed-back

• A very practical,
• pragmatic approach to
• encourage healthy eating habits.
• Thank you for setting this up. I did not access
  as much as I would have liked because of summer
  vacation, however I feel that is a great idea and
  it will be beneficial in the future!

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Pros

• Increased the purchase of healthy foods such as
  fresh fruits and vegetables
• Convenient and easily accessible location
• Low cost compared to other food services
• Cost-comparison sheet
• Healthy and practical to meet large range of
  customer needs demands
• Contributed to developing a healthy workplace

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Cons

• Spoilage of foods such as fresh fruits and
  vegetables
• Honor system may not work in every workplace
  environment (trial error)
• Requires a volunteer staff (min. 2 people) to
  operate efficiently
• Pests! Plans to manage pests are necessary for
  food safety and to prevent loss of product
• Plastic tubberware used to store stock
• Food never left out of containers
• Shelve case with glass doors

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The HSB café Builds on Healthy Eating in the
Workplace

• Service builds on work previously done in the
  Healthy Eating in the Workplace guide
• Increasing fruit and vegetable intake by
  increasing access and improving affordability
• To increase the availability of locally produced
  foods
• Lets Make a Meal awareness through décor
• Brochure and food guide take away sources
• Connection to take back the lunch break
  campaign
• commit to take a nutritious lunch break at least
  3x/week to feel healthier, happier and more
  productive

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HSB Café Tool Kit

• The Healthy Snack Box café tool kit will be made
  available to other HWP committees
• The complete Kit will be available for
  downloading through the HWP website soon.
• Potential for concept to spread across the
  provincial government

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The future of the HSB cafe

• Meeting on August 20th with members of the PSC
  Healthy Workplace Committee
• Basic operations will continue after August 21st
  (sell stock)
• Meeting planned for September 8th for final
  decision to continue operations

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Thank you!

• Questions?

Happy Healthy Snacking !