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FOOD AND ACTIVITY ENVIRONMENTS ENACT STRATEGY: Cafeteria Meals Although there is much public focus on the nutrition standards of foods served at schools, little attention has been directed toward food options in a healthcare setting. The healthcare system should promote employee and visitor health by offering nutritious foods and beverages in cafeterias and vending machines. Applying nutrition standards to all cafeteria meals and vending machines items will provide employees and visitors with healthy food options and promote overall well being. Characteristics of a successful program to apply nutrition standards to a healthcare environment:
Model Programs and Success Stories Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's report, Healthy Food, Healthy Hospitals,Healthy Communities: Stories of Healthcare Leaders Bringing Fresher, Healthier Food Choices to their Patients, Staff and Communities, includes case studies about health care organizations who have made innovative efforts to change their food environment by sponsoring farmers' markets, adapting their food policies to express preference for organic and/or local foods, and implementing healthy vending machine policies. University of Virginia Medical Center The University of Virginia Medical Center introduced a healthy vending machine policy designed to better inform consumers about the choices they are making. Health Collaborative of Bexar County The Health Collaborative of Bexar County, Texas (San Antonio) developed Healthy Vending Guidelines (PDF) with criteria and rationale for healthy items to include in vending machines. |
