The Daily Grind

Office Snacks

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team-high-five

Benefits Beyond the Basics Create a Happier Workplace

During his tenure as mayor of New York City from 1978-1989, Ed Koch was commonly heard asking his constituents, “How am I doing?” Koch was ahead of the curve in understanding that honest feedback from the residents of New York was a critical part of knowing how to best serve the city. When applying that philosophy to the workplace, the same holds true. Asking for feedback from employees increases motivation, empowerment, and contentment in the workplace. Although they are intangible qualities, they are inherently beneficial to growing a successful business. Employees crave appreciation, work-life balance, honesty, and transparency, which may require intentionally creating a healthier culture at the workplace. For instance, a benefit trends study by MetLife reveals that 69% of employees say that having a more comprehensive array of benefits would increase loyalty to their employer. Another statistic notes that 59% state that their employers provide benefits and programs

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open break room

The Break Room Breakdown: Office Pantries vs. Micro Markets

Business owners are quickly realizing the benefits of showing a little extra love to their employees post-pandemic . . . and what better way than to keep them healthfully fed and fueled? Two popular ways to provide refreshments and meals to your team throughout the day are office pantries and micro markets. These employee perks will help your business attract the best talent and build positive culture and morale. But, how do you know which one is right for you? Here’s the breakdown: Office Pantry Services Office pantries—also called free vend service—are designed to offer beverages and snacks free of cost to employees with all expenses picked up by the employer. Pantries have reach-in coolers and racks filled with drinks and snacks ready for team members to grab at will. Inventory and layout design can be customized according to budget, needs, and space requirements. This service is also a time-saver

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remote worker working

Tips for Keeping Your Remote Employees Connected and Engaged

With workplace habits turned upside down, work from home (WFH) moving from trend to long-term model, and employers coordinating hybrid work scenarios, there’s a lot to think about from a human resources perspective. While you’re welcoming back your team to the office with new protocols in place (and getting that break room restocked), one important consideration is how to keep your remote employees connected and engaged. Employee engagement is a crucial part of the health and wellness of a company as well as its team. As noted by a career writer on Business News Daily: “Keeping remote workers engaged is a necessary part of leading a remote team, company or employee . . . . Without the ability to have organic conversations in the break room or at each other’s cubicles, it takes a more concentrated effort for remote workers to engage with others.” The writer goes on to say

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Essentials cafe

Food for Thought: Micro Markets in the Workplace

Summer’s here, the pandemic is passing, and your team is coming back to the office. After months of working virtually, there may be a bit of an adjustment period as everyone adapts to structured breaks and lunch hours. With that in mind, you may want to consider the addition of a micro market to your office floor plan. What Are Micro Markets? A significant corporate trend, micro markets are miniature food retail spaces with self-checkout technology. These facilities provide a convenient, healthy, and straightforward fueling experience for the workplace. They are easy to use and are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They can be designed to fit virtually any space, need no staffing, and employees love the convenience. They are intended to be used with auto-payment apps that promote touch-free transactions through mobile devices.  Why are Micro Markets Better than Vending Machines? Unlike traditional vending machines,

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workplace-dining

Workplace Dining: The Delicious New Perk at Work

What happens to lavish office perks in a post-pandemic world? Unlimited vacation, casual dress codes, foosball tables, hammocks, nap rooms and video games may attract millennials and Gen Z to a workplace—but they may not “nourish” employees enough. As CNBC reports, free food is still the perk that attracts top talent most often. Food is a great motivator for influencing productivity, engagement, and community. Simply put, the more edible benefits available to your team, the more excited they’ll be to come to work. In fact, the free-food-at-work trend was cited back in 2018, when a Society for Human Resources Management report noted that the percentage of employers offering free food had grown from 20% in 2014 to 32%. The trend continues. A recent survey by Knight Frank Research listed onsite food and beverage as the #1 planned amenity among top facilities companies. It concluded: “As companies rebuild themselves, employee wellbeing is particularly

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September Snack Box

Featured Items in the September Snack Box from Corporate Essentials

Summer is out and Snack Box is in. The next Snack Box from Corporate Essentials is on its way to offices this month, and it’s packed with great-tasting and health-conscious snacks you can feel good about eating.  The following choices are just the tip of the iceberg of the snacks you can expect to find in your September Snack Box! Biena Snacks – Aged White Cheddar Baked Chickpea Puffs Real cheddar cheese and plant protein are the backbone of these delicious puffs. They’re grain-free, non-GMO, and gluten-free, too, making them accessible for many fans of cheese.       Sonoma Creamery – Everything Cheddar Cheese Crisp Bars Cheese is often seen as the ultimate companion ingredient to ‘complete’ certain food items, such as cheese & crackers or mac & cheese. But why not enjoy cheese in a more simple form? The Everything Cheddar bar takes this idea and makes it

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15 Tips to Stay Health-Conscious This Summer

15 Tips to Stay Health-Conscious This Summer

Sticking with a new diet can be difficult, but adopting at least one of these tips is a step toward being more health-conscious this summer.  1. Distinguish Sugars It can be tricky to recognize the many types of sugar. This is especially the case today, seeing as there are more than 50 varieties of sugar! But step one to being more health-conscious is knowing the difference between natural sugars and added sugars. Natural Sugar: These are sugars that are found, you guessed it, naturally in food like whole fruits. They’re generally considered the healthier option before added sugars. Apples contain fructose, a common component of added sugar; and while excessive ingestion of fructose can have negative effects, it’s very difficult to get an excessive amount of fructose from eating fruit. So continue eating fruit! Especially fruit with more skin, since it’s rich in nutrients. Added Sugar: These are sugars that

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snack box

Introducing the August Snack Box from Corporate Essentials!

Hold on, there are only two days left until August? This year is flying by right before our eyes! But with another new month comes another new snack box, so we aren’t complaining! These are just a handful of the snacks you can look forward to enjoying in the August Snack Box from Corporate Essentials. Pressels – Sriracha & Everything There’s less fat and sodium in these thin and crispy pretzel snacks than any other pretzels on the market while retaining a great taste. They have 5 grams of protein per serving, and alongside 3 grams of fiber, these are two baked pretzel blends that we can’t stop dreaming about.      SkinnyJimmy! – Eye of the Tiger & Wake & Focus Both of these clean, gluten-free and delicious protein bars are designed to give us the energy to keep moving forward. The Eye of the Tiger bar has 9

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fruit snack

12 Fruit Snacks That Make #Adulting Feel Like Child’s Play

Being an adult is hard. As we grow older, we lose access to so many defining aspects of childhood, such as swinging as high as humanly possible on the local park’s swing set without launching into outer space. Attempting that as an adult might raise a few eyebrows. But not everything from childhood has to disappear! Delicious fruit snacks are still here to stay.  Childhood favorites like Welch’s fruit snacks are available to enjoy, but there’s a new market of fruit snacks made to be more appealing to adults. In addition to snack companies offering healthier options, there are vegan and organic snacks to engage an even wider audience. Unfortunately, not every fruit snack is made equal. After extensive research, we’ve compiled a list of fruit snack choices that should satisfy every party. There are options on the health-focused end of the spectrum, as well as items that should be

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summer fancy food show

An Inside Look At The 2019 Summer Fancy Food Show

Last week, our team had the pleasure of attending the 65th Annual Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City at the Javits Center. The three-day show, sponsored by Specialty Food Association, is the largest specialty food industry event in North America and provides vendors an opportunity to showcase their innovative products and connect with distributors and retailers from all over the world.   We took this opportunity to do some research on snack and beverage trends for the year and to create new relationships with vendors to bring awesome products to our customers. Here’s an inside look at the 2019 Summer Fancy Food Show and what to take away.   Tips for Attendees   First and foremost, comfortable walking shoes are a must. With 218,000 square feet of exhibitor space divided over three floors, walking around the Javits Center all day will certainly help you burn off those calories

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july snack box

Check Out What’s New in the July Snack Box from Corporate Essentials!

Summertime in the U.S. is synonymous with grilling burgers or hot dogs on the barbecue. The tradition has become so synonymous, in fact, that 75 percent of U.S. homes have a grill. That’s a lot of propane and propane accessories! Additionally, July 4th is the most popular holiday to have a barbecue. Next time you savor outdoor cooking on a grill (perhaps during a summer work party), impress your guests with these two facts.  Every great party has delicious snacks to eat while enjoying the festivities. Check out the featured items being sent your way in the July Snack Box!   What’s Inside?   Sonoma Creamery – Parmesan Cheese Crisp Bar & Everything Cheddar Cheese Crisp Bar Both of these cheesy, crispy bars are a great choice for anyone seeking a low-carb snack. They’re also gluten-free, packed with 7 grams of protein, and include zero sugar. Get your cheese fix

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healthy snack trends

7 Healthy Snack Trends You Should Know For Summer 2019!

In the past few years, the rising level of nutritional awareness in consumers has prompted food and snack companies to provide more diverse options. A bevy of grocery store items now contain key phrases to be on the lookout for, including ones that read “no added sugar”, “gluten-free” and “dairy-free” in addition to the standard nutrition label. Expanded choices benefit everyone, as it drives a competitive market for companies to provide people with the best value. The push for healthy-minded meals has extended into the world of snack foods, with snack companies giving people a greater array of options. Dried fruit, granola bars, protein bars and light crackers or chips (such as kale chips) are just a few examples. We’ve compiled a list of 7 healthy snack trends you should know for summer 2019!   1. Food Companies Offer More Healthy Options Today’s healthy food choices are more prevalent than

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