Dr Schär UK: Healthy High Fibre Breakfast Week
An anonymised survey of colleagues conducted by our internal Workplace Wellbeing team highlighted that there was a desire for more advice and information regarding healthy diets, specifically a practical food-based/ food sharing intervention that could form part of an office day, rather than a formal educational intervention. As research suggests that 18-21% of UK fibre intakes are consumed at breakfast1, and many Schär colleagues begin their working day before eating breakfast, it was decided that healthy high fibre breakfasts should be the theme of this practical intervention/ health promotion activity. The project, led by Company Dietitian, Katie Kennedy began with a survey of employees to assess current breakfast habits. Concerningly, this revealed that 32% of colleagues skip breakfast some or all of the time. A healthy breakfast drop-in session was then planned, and a selection of easy, high fibre breakfast foods were provided for colleagues to sample, including a range of fruits, cereals, and ‘on-the-go’ breakfast bars. This was accompanied by the provision of recipe cards for colleagues to take away. Over the course of the week, daily e-mail updates were circulated to colleagues, featuring breakfast-related science and nutrition facts to encourage engagement and consideration of improved breakfast habits. During the activity, further information was collected from colleagues regarding what breakfast options they would like the company to provide for them to support healthier, higher fibre breakfast habits. This information has been used to enhance the in-office offering for colleagues, contributing to improved health, wellness and fibre intakes.
- Gaal S, Kerr MA, Ward M, McNulty H, Livingstone MBE. Breakfast Consumption in the UK: Patterns, Nutrient Intake and Diet Quality. A Study from the International Breakfast Research Initiative Group. Nutrients. 2018 Jul 30;10(8):999.