5 Reasons to Provide Snacks for Your Office

In the long run, a healthy snack program can boost employee morale. A famished person is not a pleasant individual to deal with, especially at work.

When employees have to go outside of the office for a meal, they lose valuable time that could have been spent working on projects. Having a snack bar at work will ensure that an employee always has a healthy option nearby.

1. It Keeps Employees Healthy

The fact is, people work better on a full stomach. Famished employees are less productive and more likely to snap at each other due to their irritable moods and lack of energy. The solution to this is providing snacks for your office that are healthy and nutrient rich. Fresh fruit, dehydrated veggies, and granola bars are all great examples of healthy snacks that can provide the vitamins and nutrients that your employees need to perform their best throughout the day.

Offering healthy snacks to your employees sends a message that you care about their wellbeing and are invested in their health. You can take it even further by using a snack delivery service like Crafty that lets your employees browse snack options, submit their favorites, and vote on new products. This can be a fun way for your team to bond, while also making it easy for you to find and stock up on popular healthy snacks!

2. It Keeps Employees Happy

The snacking habits of employees have a direct impact on their mood. Keeping the office snacks stocked with healthy options will keep employees feeling happy and productive throughout the day.

When an employee feels hungry or has low blood sugar, they become distracted and can’t focus. This can cause them to be snappy and difficult to work with. Having healthy snacks in the breakroom is an easy way to help prevent this from happening.

Having healthy options like fruit, nuts, and yogurt can help keep an employee satisfied and productive during the day. They can also be used to replace unhealthy choices such as cookies and chips. By having a mix of both healthy and unhealthy snacks, it allows your employees to choose what is best for them and their diet.

Providing snacks at the office shows your employees that you care about them and their happiness. It can also make your company more attractive to potential employees as well. While benefits such as health insurance and 401(k) matching may be out of reach for small businesses, providing snacks is an affordable perk that can make a huge difference in the workplace.

3. It Keeps Employees in the Office

A hungry employee is not a happy one, and snacks can keep people in the office, avoiding costly lunch breaks and unnecessary trips out for food. Snacks also help to prevent energy crashes and groggyness that can distract employees from getting their work done.

Snacks provide a healthy alternative to sugar-laden processed foods and carb overloads that can lead to headaches, stomachaches and low productivity. Snacks like string cheese, granola bars, beef jerky and yogurt can improve focus, increase energy levels and provide valuable vitamins and nutrients to support an active workforce.

Having snacks available in the office encourages employees to take regular 5-10 minute breaks throughout the day to recharge and refuel with a snack. This can boost employee morale and help to promote a positive work environment. It also provides an opportunity for employees to connect with each other and form team bonds as they share a snack together. Snack stations can be located in areas of the office where employees normally interact, such as break rooms or near water coolers. Alternatively, you can use an online snack program like Crafty Explorer to let employees browse options and submit requests.

4. It Keeps Employees Motivated

When your employees aren’t running out of energy due to hunger, they can focus more on work. This can help them do their jobs better and keep up with the demands of the company.

With snacks readily available, employees don’t need to leave the office to find food or drink, which can slow down productivity. Instead, they can grab a bite or two of granola bars, protein shakes and bite-sized proteins such as chicken satay or fruit cocktail sticks (vegan-friendly options also exist).

Plus, if you provide healthy snacks for your employees, they might be more inclined to share them with coworkers. This is great for encouraging socialization and collaboration between departments, which can boost overall team productivity. Plus, if your employees are making new friends at work, they’ll feel more happy and satisfied with their job. Plus, a snack station in the office can be an excellent way to recruit millennials, who are 3x more likely to accept a job that offers free snacks.

5. It Keeps Employees Healthy

Many companies have found that providing healthy snacks is one of the most effective ways to show employees they care. Healthy food options that don’t have high fructose corn syrup or GMOs are easy to find and will encourage employees to make healthier choices when they are at work.

In a culture where morale is king, a well-stocked snack station can be the difference between an employee who is irritable and snappy or one that is happy and productive. Studies have shown that hunger can cause hostility and a lack of focus, so if your team is constantly hungry it can be difficult to maintain a positive working environment.

Providing a selection of healthful snacks is an easy way to keep everyone in the office happy and productive. You can even offer a survey to your staff to see what their favorite healthy snacks are so that you have a good mix of choices on hand. From crunchy dehydrated veggies to savory beef jerky, there are many great options for your office’s snack station.