• You can demonstrate your company’s belief in and commitment to employee health by organizing healthy meetings and workshops.
• Your meeting participants will benefit and you will establish a healthy culture for your organization.
• Employees who regularly organize your workplace functions can order copies of Hosting Healthy Meetings and Healthy Food Guidelines for the Workplace.

To help you get started, follow these simple tips to help meeting participants focus, feel energized and be more productive:

Healthy Food Choices

Serve or ask your caterer to provide healthy food choices.

• Offer healthy beverages such as water, milk (skim or 1%) and 100% fruit and vegetable juice, as alternatives to high caffeine beverages.
• Provide healthier snack options, such as vegetables & dip, fresh fruit, yogurt, cheese & whole-grain crackers, lower-fat muffins, or whole grain bagels.
• If a meal is provided, try some of the following:
  • lower- fat salad dressing or salad dressing on the side
  • meatless dishes, such as vegetarian lasagna, lentil soups
  • smaller portions of leaner meat, fish & poultry
  • broth-based soups or soups made with milk instead of cream
  • lower-fat desserts such as fresh fruit, fruit salad, baked fruit, frozen yogurt, sherbet or angel food cake
  • sandwiches made with little or no mayonnaise, butter or margarine

Smoke-Free

Clean air will help your participants feel more alert and comfortable.

• Ensure that meeting or conference rooms are 100% smoke-free.
• If outside smoking occurs near air vent or outside room window, ask participants to smoke away from the area to keep room 100% smoke-free.

Active Living

Build in opportunities for physical activity to help keep participants alert.

• Include stretch breaks or light physical activity breaks in the agenda.
• Arrange for a walking meeting.
• Replace a coffee break with a walking break.
• Familiarize visitors or out of town participants with recreational facilities nearby.
• Choose activities that are appropriate for all abilities.
• Let participants know that the activities are voluntary.
• Ensure safety is maintained during activities.

Environmentally Friendly

An environmentally friendly meeting saves money and the environment.

• Use regular dishes and utensils instead of disposable.
• Serve beverages in pitchers rather than individual glass bottles or cartons.
• Use nametags that can be returned and re-used.
• Provide blue boxes for recycling.
• Enquire in advance about participant allergies, sensitivities and special needs.

top of page