Focus on Employees
Eat Smart Program – Fact Sheet
What is Eat Smart?
Eat Smart is a King County program designed to educate, encourage and empower employees and their families to make smart food choices.
Why Eat Smart?
Research shows that good nutrition can play a large role in the prevention of some diseases. In addition, healthy eating habits have a positive impact on your mood, energy level, performance and overall health.
Why Eat Smart at King County?
King County is trying to improve the lives of its employees and their families. Improving health through work based programs is a good way. Most employees spend most of their waking hours at work and consume 1-2 meals and snacks during working hours. The workplace is ideal to influence and promote healthy eating habits.
What are the 2006 goals of Eat Smart?
The goals of Eat Smart are to:
- Increase awareness of good nutrition facts and the benefits of good nutrition
- Increase awareness of health risks of poor nutrition
- Increase awareness of factors to consider in making smart food choices
- Provide tools and resources to make smart food choices
What are smart food choices?
Smart food choices are based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005 which gives science-based advice on food and physical activity choices for good health. People who eat smart strive to meet the recommended daily servings of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. In addition, smart food choices limit foods that are high in fat, sugar and sodium.
How will the county help employees and their families Eat Smart?
The Eat Smart program will include a series of newsletter articles, Web site features, worksite posters, global emails, and a county-wide challenge to encourage fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity while fostering teamwork. In addition, the county has implemented a healthy vending machine program and The Weight Watchers® At Work program.
What’s next?
Look for the Eat Smart page in the newsletter and the Eat Smart page on the Web site www.metrokc.gov/employees to learn how you can improve your health and well being by making smart food choices.