Just as more people are becoming mindful of what they’re putting on their plates at home, companies are paying more attention to what they’re serving employees while they’re on the job.
Bob Evans Farms
Upon moving to its new headquarters in 2013, Bob Evans Farms had the chance to offer employees a cafeteria – rather than the Bob Evans restaurant across the street – for the first time.
Through company-wide polling prior to the move, employees made it clear they didn’t want processed food, says Joe Eulberg, executive vice president of human resources. So the company partnered with AVI Foodsystems to provide a myriad of healthful options for its employees.
“AVI had a strong commitment to providing healthy choices for the guests,” Eulberg says. “It was very much in line with where we have been in our growing as a company.”
Before everyone moved into the new building, AVI sat down with employees to help them learn what they could expect. Many liked what they saw.
Out of 400 employees, about 30 contractors and 40-60 consultants, 70-80 percent use the cafeteria, says Eulberg. The cafeteria receives more than 300 transactions per day and provides breakfast, lunch and catering.
Fresh ingredients and reasonable portion sizes are emphasized. Condiments such as low-fat mayonnaise and dressings are available, and the cafeteria makes a point of not serving French fries. Pretzels, pita chips and fruit provide healthful alternatives to chips. Tricia Gardner, general manager for AVI at Bob Evans, also uses garlic, herbs and spices instead of piling on the salt.
Healthful options are labeled in green on the menu, and nutritious versions of some of the more calorie-packed dishes are always offered. The menu itself is generally inspired by – but not identical to – the Bob Evans brand everyone’s familiar with. A Bob Evans Express in the cafeteria provides some of the items employees remember from trips to the restaurant.
AVI has standard recipes, but it also devises specials for the various stations in the cafeteria. Gardner works in ethnic dishes on a weekly basis, including South American, European, Indian, Thai and Vietnamese.
“(It’s) everything I can get them to eat,” she says.
One particular departure from Bob Evans’ typical restaurant offering is the deli station, says Eulberg.
“People appreciate that customizability,” Eulberg says.
The opportunity for customization allows Gardner to bring in items from the international market, for example, on a limited basis. For breakfast, employees can choose from hard-boiled eggs, low-fat cottage cheese, fruit and yogurt parfaits, fruit salad, and granola bars. Healthful lunch items have included Moroccan chicken with fennel and olives, apple cranberry spinach salad, beef and broccoli stir-fry, chicken posole, and California taco salad.
Mount Carmel New Albany
The Mount Carmel New Albany’s cafeteria features meals cooked from scratch with natural ingredients, says Erin Armour, director of food and nutrition services.
The offerings emphasize leaner, more healthful meats such as grilled chicken, and fish is served once or twice a week. A low-calorie soup is available every day as well.
The hospital is always looking for ways to provide better quality food, Armour says. The executive chef regularly researches new recipes and trains cooks based on the highest standards of nutrition.
“Ultimately, our goal is to provide high-quality food at the highest possible level with the freshest products we have,” she says.
Beverages are grouped according to calorie count: 0-100, 101-200 and 200-plus. While calories are not posted for food, information is available to all employees upon request.
Several of the cafeteria’s numerous stations lend themselves especially well to customization. In the culinary station, meals are cooked to order, meaning that someone might decide to use olive oil instead of vegetable oil.
“You’re in control of what’s going in there,” Armour says.
The salad bar offers more than 25 ingredients, including spinach, romaine lettuce and spring mix. At the “grab and go” area, employees can choose from a selection of packaged options made in-house, including fresh fruit, yogurt parfait, hummus, pita chips, veggie cups and cubed cheese.
Breakfast options are also available. An employee seeking an early-morning food fix can choose from hard-boiled eggs, cholesterol-free eggs, egg whites and a yogurt and fresh fruit bar.
Discover Financial Services
The 2,200 employees at the Discover New Albany Customer Care Center have open access to nutritional information for the meals served at their cafeteria.
The cafeteria, which has been part of the building since it opened in 2000, even has its own name: Taste of Discover.
Through MyFitnessPal, a free calorie and exercise counting website and application, employees can look up nutritional information for cafe items, says Robert Weiss, public relations manager for Discover. Bar codes on the hot and cold prepared foods can be scanned with a smart phone for instant info.
“Over the past few years, healthful dining has become an integral part of our employees’ daily lives,” Weiss says. “Smart phones and the apps for healthy eating are available everywhere, and we try to cater to the needs of our employees by offering technological tools to help them eat healthier.”
Taste of Discover features a “Livewell/Mindful” program, which includes healthful items in all areas of the cafe. Signage indicates which items on the day’s menu are its featured healthful options.
“These items help balance calorie counts, fat grams (and) sodium levels to ensure healthy dining,” Weiss says.
Some of the daily featured items are fresh fruit, light yogurts, low-fat cottage cheese, sandwiches, turkey burgers, garden burgers, wraps, pita and hummus, veggies and dip, and pizza. Vegetarian and vegan options are always made available as well.
Sarah Sole is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at ssole@cityscenemediagroup.com.
