Break room snacks make everything better. Not only are free snacks a brilliant mid-afternoon boost, research shows that employees who have access to healthy food in their company break room are happier and more productive. There’s something to be said about not having to venture outside the building onto New York City streets for your snack fix. While just 16 percent of employees report they have high-quality beverages and free food at their workplace, 67 percent of employees with snacks are “extremely” or “very” happy with their employer.
While providing nuts, granola and other essential snacks to your New York City, New Jersey and Manhattan employees isn’t as costly as other employee perks, it makes a significant difference to your people. Entrepreneur Beth Monaghan reports that snacks are a big factor at companies where people look forward to being at work.
Per Entrepreneur, the benefits go well beyond employee happiness and the fact we all work more effectively when we’re not dealing with a hungry tummy or epic blood sugar crash. Three massive benefits of providing food at work include:
- Creating a “lunch” culture, where employees take regular breaks and form relationships with colleagues.
- Productivity boosts of up to 20 percent with the right, better-for-you snacks, as well as better concentration and energy.
- Healthier employee habits, including eating breakfast.
Not all break room snacks are created equal. While free food can foster goodwill among employees, your people won’t be as productive with low-quality, sugary candy as they will with healthy superfoods in your break room pantry. Here are five snack varities for employees that every NY, NJ, and Manhattan company should consider offering as a perk.
1. Crunch Snacks
If you’ve ever felt that ripping into a bag of chips helped you focus, you may have been onto something. Crunchy snacks are a tool for stress release and enhanced focus, and by offering something a little better than regular old potato chips, you can offer your employees a boost of antioxidants or protein at the same time. Kale chips, organic corn chips, trail mix and roasted almonds are three ways to satisfy mid-afternoon crunchy cravings.
There’s no shortage of healthier options, including Whisps Cheddar Cheese Crisps, Snapea Crisps Green Pea Crisps, and Veggie Straws to stock your break room. Taking inventory of your current break room setup and looking for ways to implement fun, healthy and exciting crunchy snacks to support interaction among employees goes a long way towards the overall success of your team in the workplace.
2. Jerky
Jerky has a mixed reputation among healthy snacks, but there’s been a lot of recent innovation in this space that’s brought options that are much lower in sodium and fat and have a great deal more protein content. Many new jerky options are free of additives like MSG and have a lot of protein for a moderate calorie count.
Consider offering some variety in protein break room snacks for staff, including Righteous Felon Hickory Beef Jerky, Think Jerky Sweet Chipotle and SOLELY Organic Mango Fruit Jerky to satisfy a variety of tastes and preferences.
3. Energy Bars
60 percent of people want snacks that boost their energy–and what better way to do it than a nutrient-dense bar filled with nuts, dried fruit, granola or even spirulina? Clinical dietician Helen Mullen states that as part of a varied diet and active lifestyle, bars can be a great choice if they contain fewer ingredients and sugar.
And who wouldn’t want to work for a company that offers treats like Luna Chocolate Dipped Coconut Bars, RX Blueberry Protein Bars and GoMarco Protein Energy Bars?
4. Chocolate
Sometimes, you just need a piece of chocolate. Dark chocolate is healthy in moderation, containing antioxidants that support heart health.
Better yet, dark chocolate stimulates serotonin production in the brain, lending a near-instantaneous mood boost. With available options like Bazzini Dark Chocolate Almonds, Unreal Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups, and Everbar Dark Chocolate Wafer Bars, you can improve your mood while also satisfying your sweet tooth.
By simply adding these delicious treats to your NYC, NJ, and Manhattan break room, you’ll be sure you keep your employee’s mood high!
5. Fruit
There’s actually a lot of truth behind the advice to eat “an apple a day.” Apples are filled with good-for-your-gut soluble fiber, contain loads of immune-boosting vitamin C and may even lower your risk for heart disease and high cholesterol. Fruit is great, but going a step further and offering easily accessible, tasty fruit in your break room is even greater.
If your team is looking for alternatives to fresh fruit, fruit cups are the perfect solution. While they may be a staple in elementary school cafeterias, beloved brands like Dole are working to make fruit cups and applesauce suitable for adult tastes, including larger serving sizes and sophisticated new flavor combinations. Some snacks like That’s It. use only fruit as an ingredient to ensure a tasty and organic snacking experience. Healthy snacking is all about variety, and it’s hard to deny the health-boosting benefits of fruit that can be the ultimate snack perk for your office.
Everyone Eats, So Why Not Make Your Break Room Snacks Awesome?
Employees of all ages consider company culture when making decisions about work, and offering snacks can play an integral part in that. This is especially the case when your New York City, New Jersey, and Manhattan-based company has to compete for your fair share of new hires. Not only do essential break room snacks help you prevent raging hanger at work, they can boost your employee productivity, their health and focus.
Corporate Essentials offers a wide array of options for healthy break room snacking in New York City offices, including organic crunchy snacks, jerky, fruit cups, chocolate, cold brew coffee and much more! It’s no surprise that so many employees have joined the health-food movement. Corporate Essentials has a wide variety of the delicious, wholesome snacks that your employees are hoping to find in the breakroom. It’s only right to offer them the right break room snacks within your New York, New Jersey, and Manhattan office so that they can indulge without having to opt for a cheat day. Contact us today to learn more!
