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MeetWell: Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Guidelines for Meetings, Conferences and Events
Making nutritious food available at work promotes and supports healthy lifestyle choices. It also contributes to increased productivity, employee morale and overall well-being.
Facts
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Food and beverages consumed at work account for about a third of most people’s calories.
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Foods typically available for meetings such as donuts and cookies are low in nutrition and high in calories.
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Few British Columbians eat enough fruits, vegetables, milk products and grain products.
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Over half of BC adults are overweight or obese – and managing their weight is difficult when they’re surrounded by high-calorie choices.
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Poor eating habits contribute to the development of chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis and some cancers.
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Productivity at work is lower when employees suffer from chronic diseases – and when they’re just plain under-nourished.
For meetings:
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Consider offering only beverages (and not food) at mid-morning or afternoon breaks.
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Consider physical activity breaks if the meeting lasts longer than an hour.
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Note on your agenda if refreshments will be served and physical activities are planned.
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Follow the Guidelines for Healthy Eating at Meetings, Conferences and Events (below).
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Follow safe food handling practices. For details, visit www.foodsafebc.ca.
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Make sure to account for the needs of employees who are vegetarian or have severe allergies to nuts, eggs or dairy foods.
Guidelines for Healthy Eating at Meetings, Conferences and Events
Feature fruits and vegetables
Only one-third of British Columbians eat the recommended 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day that are necessary to maintain good health and energy levels, protect against the effects of aging and reduce the risk of chronic disease. Meeting organizers can:
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Serve plates or bowls of vegetables and/or fruit.
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Feature fruit in salads or kabobs.
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Include vegetables in salads, sandwiches, wraps, pastas, pizzas or soups.
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Add grilled or roasted vegetables or fruit to sandwiches.
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Provide vegetable or 100% fruit juices.
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Offer dried fruit and vegetable bars or fruit cups.
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Consider fruit, fruit salad or kabobs for dessert.
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Offer at least one vegetable for meals.
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Offer salads (with dressing on the side).
Make choices to optimize nutrition
To enhance participants’ alertness:
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Limit portion sizes to prevent overeating.
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Include protein foods such as milk products, meat, fish, eggs, nuts and legumes at meals.
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Serve beverages that don’t contain caffeine such as milk, herbal teas, water, 100% fruit and vegetable juice.
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Include choices from at least 3 food groups at meals and 2 at snacks. For more information on food groups, visit
Canada’s Guide to Healthy Eating.
To reduce added fats, salt and/or sugar:
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Serve fresh foods rather than processed or canned.
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Use low fat dip for vegetables.
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Request baked goods made without trans fats (hydrogenated fats).
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Request condiments (margarine, butter, mayonnaise) and dressings on the side.
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Select foods that are broiled, baked, grilled or steamed rather than fried.
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Choose tomato-based sauces rather than those made with butter, cream or cheese.
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Serve lower fat and whole grain products.
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Eat foods that are fresh and locally grown or produced.
Food and Beverage Choices for Healthy Eating at Meetings
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Choose …
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Instead of …
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For Cold Beverages
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pitchers of water or bottled local water (with citrus or cucumber slices), sparkling or spring water with no sugar added, 100% fruit and/or vegetable juices
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soda pop or fruit flavoured drinks, iced tea, lemonade
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skim or 1% milk or soy milk (including flavoured milk)
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whole or 2% milk
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For Hot Beverages
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coffee and tea (regular, decaffeinated and herbal teas) served with milk, skim milk powder, sugar and sugar substitute, cocoa made with lower fat milk
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regular coffee and tea only with creamers, coffee whiteners and flavoured creams, packaged hot chocolate, apple cider mixes
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For Breakfasts/Morning Breaks
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fresh fruits, dried fruits, unsweetened juices
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sweetened canned fruits and juices
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lower fat yogurt (2% M.F. or less)
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regular yogurt
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small whole grain bagels, muffins or fruit bread, whole grain or fruit-based bars, granola bars, breakfast bars
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donuts, pastries or snack breads, regular and/or large sized bagels and muffins
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unsweetened whole grain cereals
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sweetened low fibre cereals
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whole grain toast, pancakes, waffles or French toast
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pancakes, waffles or French toast made from white flour
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boiled or poached eggs, lean ham or back bacon
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fried eggs, bacon or sausage
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toppings of non-hydrogenated margarine, lower fat cream cheese, natural nut butters, jams or jellies
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margarine or nut butters made with hydrogenated oils, regular cream cheese, butter
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For Lunches or Dinners
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salads with dressings on the side
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salads with dressings added (Caesar, coleslaw, potato and pasta)
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raw vegetables with a small amount of lower fat dip (made with low fat yogurt, light mayonnaise or light sour cream) or vegetable salad rolls (fresh)
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large amounts of high fat creamy, cheesy or other flavoured dips, chips and dip, fried vegetables (French fries, tempura, potato skins), fried vegetable spring rolls
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salads (coleslaw, potato and pasta) and sandwich/wrap fillings made with small amounts of lower fat salad dressing or
mayonnaise
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salads made with regular mayonnaise
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soups made with legumes, vegetable puree or skim milk
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soups made with cream or half and half
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sandwiches on whole grain breads or mini whole wheat pita topped with vegetables, sushi
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sandwiches on croissants or white bread
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lean meats, skinless poultry, fish, tofu (limited to 100 – 125g portions), canned fish packed in water or broth
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high fat and fried meats, bacon, poultry with skin, cold cuts, oil-packed fish
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baked potatoes with added fat on the side or vegetable toppings, brown rice, whole grain pastas
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baked potato with added fats (butter, sour cream, bacon bits)
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steamed vegetables, extra vegetables in pastas, sandwiches and wraps,
roasted vegetables and oven fries
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cooked vegetables in cream sauce or with added fats or fried vegetables
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whole grain bread or rolls
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croissants or white rolls
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non-hydrogenated margarines (no trans fats)
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butter or hydrogenated margarines
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no desserts or smaller/lower fat desserts: fresh fruit, frozen yogurt, sherbet, sorbet, angel food cake with fruit topping, pies or tarts with lots of fruit
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large portions of higher fat desserts: cheese cake, pies, cream puffs
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For Afternoon Breaks
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whole pieces of fruit or cut fruit with lower fat yogurt dip
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pastries and baked goods
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small cookies, biscotti or lower fat fruit cobblers and squares
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large cookies, donuts
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raw vegetables with lower fat dips or salsa
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vegetables with high fat dips and sauces
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pretzels, air-popped popcorn, baked tortilla chips with salsa, baked potato chips
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high fat popcorn and tortilla chips, regular potato chips
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A guide to serving sizes for healthy eating at meetings
“Supersizing” meals and portions encourages overeating and reduces your ability to think clearly. Overeating can also lead to weight gain and increase your risk of developing chronic diseases.
Suggested serving sizes for food and beverages are:
Breakfast and snack foods
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Muffins (maximum 6½ cm or 2¾” diameter). If larger, request muffins be cut in half.
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Bagels (maximum 9 cm or 3½” diameter). Request they be sliced if larger.
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Small cookies (5–6 cm or 2–2½” diameter).
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Cheese
(maximum 1½ cm or 3/4” squares).
Lunch and dinner items
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Sandwich
fillings – no more than 100g or 3 ounces of meat, fish, cheese, egg, etc.
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Meat and fish
servings (100–125g or 3-4 ounces)
Beverages
For more ideas, see the tip sheet
Buy Local, In Season Fruits and Vegetables.
For more information on portion sizes, see
Canadian Diabetes Association Portion Guide.
Links:
MeetWell: Healthy Eating and Physical Activity for Meetings, Conferences and Events
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