We only get 24 hours in a day, but for most of us, much that time is spent working. In fact, Business Insider estimates that the average person will spend over 90,000 hours of their life at work.

Often people find themselves being overworked, causing them to put their health on the back burner. But in recent years, a focus on wellness has started to make a comeback. Actually, it goes beyond just self-care, and has branched out to creating healthy workplaces, too.

From allowing mental health-related sick leaves to discouraging overtime, more companies are now pushing a healthy work-life balance on their employees. But of course, one important factor that shouldn’t be overlooked is nutrition. After all, whatever you eat inevitably influences how you think, solve problems, and function as a human being. Whether you work in a large corporation or you’re part of a small group, here are some other benefits of promoting healthy eating among your team.

Reduces sick days

No matter how big or small your operations are, absenteeism can end up costing your company lots of money. A feature by Maryville University warns against the rise of chronic illnesses and unhealthy habits, which can be linked to a poor diet. Common ailments like colds and fatigue can be avoided by maintaining a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and other nutrients. Make sure to stock your office pantry with snacks such as whole fruit, crackers, and nuts. Plus, ensure that you have healthy drinks at hand such as tea bags, milk, and even coconut water.

Gives team members a new goal to work towards

If you’re finding it particularly challenging to motivate your team to eat better, why not gamify it? Establish small weekly goals centered on eating and drinking habits, such as cutting down on soda or eating fresh fruit and/or vegetables with every meal. In line with the focus on mental health, try to shift your goals away from weight loss. By doing this, it will help your team focus on how healthy eating impacts their bodies, allowing them to really feel the physical changes and see weight loss as just one benefit out of many.

Allows for learning outside the context of work

Although "eating healthier" and "losing weight" is pretty much the most popular resolution in America, many people often feel like they don’t know where to start. Look to host seminars on healthy eating and invite nutritional experts to come and speak to your team members, or look for seminars happening near your office that you can get people to attend. This information could prove pivotal in jumpstarting someone’s path towards healthy eating.

Increases productivity

Last but not least, healthy eating helps people work smarter, not harder. It’s easy to feel sluggish when you’re at your desk all day, which is why people reach for sugary snacks and drinks. Eat This Not That’s list of brain food covers everything from fruits to protein and includes things like tuna, bananas, and coffee — food that is proven to increase focus while staving off hunger. It’s easy to feel sluggish when you’re typing at a desk all day, so incorporating some healthy food with a quick stretch every now and again can provide a much-needed boost.

About Ada Grace

Ada Grace is a management nerd with a background in education. She believes that modern workplaces and classrooms have a ton of things in common - especially when it comes to how health is connected to learning ability. When she's not in the local organic market scouring for cheap superfoods, you can find her in the woods hiking with Ben, her 8-year-old chocolate lab.