Health Handouts : Worksite Wellness Program Ideas: Low Fat Foods Sampling

Often individuals avoid low fat foods because they think these foods do not taste good. To help inform workers, purchase a variety of low fat foods and put them out in a conference room for an hour or so for a drop-in tasting session. Or, arrange for low-fat potlucks encouraging workers to bring and share their favorite low fat or healthy dishes.

Considerations:
• Make sure the selections actually taste great.
• Provide a “fact sheet” with the names and price of the various products to assist participants if they want to purchase these products from the supermarket.
• Give other written information on good diet for any interested participants to take. Utilize websites and other resources listed in the Resource Section at the end of this guide.
• Offer small tasting spoons or wooden ice cream tasters.
• It doesn’t take much of each item to give participants a taste of the meals or dish. It is not essential to buy enough, or bring enough, food to provide a meal.
• Set up the tasting room after lunch so participants can go in on their own and sample.
• Keep an eye out for overly sugary items…sometimes low fat means high sugar – so be sure to look at the label.
• Typical purchases for a workplace sampling could include: two boxes of healthy crackers, a package of low fat cheese, a box of low fat cookies, two or three low fat spreads such as hummus, low fat cream cheese, a package of honey nut or other flavored rice crackers, and one or two other low fat items.
• Put signs on the table politely reminding participants that the idea is to sample, not have a meal.
• Provide a beverage such as a new kind of fruit juice or herbal tea.