Cafeteria Nirvana Health Article

At the Husky plant in northern New England, engineers and skilled machinists work two-ton shining blocks of stainless steel into injection-molding equipment that will be used to manufacture everything from plastic soda bottles and disposable syringes to car bumpers. It's heavy industry at full steam, but come lunchtime Husky is all lightness and nouvelle food ideas.

A string of large, hungry men, dressed in blue work shirts, line up to see what surprises Chef Kirk Fiore has laid out for the day. On this particular Tuesday afternoon, most choose the orange-glazed salmon and red rice, steamed radishes and mashed celeriac puree. Others opt for the Cornish game hen with pattypan squash. One fellow helps himself to both. A few aim for the vegetarian entrée, a wedge of golden tomato and basil pie.

This is not your typical factory cafeteria fare. Nor are the Husky guidelines that Fiore must follow easy for anyone in charge of feeding 250 employees a day, a group that includes a staunch meat-and-potatoes crowd. Butter is frowned upon, hydrogenated fats are forbidden, soymilk replaces dairy whenever possible, and flaxseeds are a staple. But the 32-year-old Fiore, himself a former vegan, says the program meshes with his own belief system, which he sums up as "cooking with a conscience."

The cafeteria is only a piece of a larger philosophy that rules at Husky plants here and internationally. As a public health crisis caused by obesity and related disease attacks the working population, Husky (headquartered in Bolton, Ontario) has joined part of a slowly growing movement in which employers create an environment that encourages a healthy lifestyle. At Husky, employees are encouraged to use the fitness center and make appointments with a visiting massage therapist. Health benefits include coverage for naturopaths. The grounds around the building are all planted in waving natural grasses that require no mowing, and whatever can be recycled is. Back in the kitchen, pig farmers pick up feed in the form of cafeteria compost, kept in an immaculate, chilled compost room.

"This is a central philosophy," says Steven Schultz, the plant's human resources manager. "They eat well, they're healthy, they're more productive. We do it because it pays dividends over and over."

It helps that Husky heavily subsidizes the program. Fiore, trained and employed by the New England Culinary Institute, which contracts with Husky to provide the meals, can afford to offer high-quality organic and local food at incredibly low prices. "Where else can I get all of this for under $4?" asks engineer Bo Allemann, pointing to his plate of fish, vegetables and whole grains.

Not everyone has jumped on the company bandwagon. On average, participation is 65 percent, but that's good news to Husky. According to Fiore, in the year and a half since he has taken the kitchen helm, participation has gone up 35 percent. Besides offering superb food, Fiore has learned a few marketing tricks. "If we put out a Grilled Vegetable Salad with Tofu, they won't touch it. But they'll eat up the exact same salad if we don't mention the tofu."

By now the group of men who had gone through the line have pushed back from their table. There's not a trace of salmon left on anyone's plate. Still, Fiore says, hardly a week goes by that someone doesn't take him aside and quietly ask, "If I bring you a steak will you cook it for me?"

Corporate Wellness

A growing number of companies are starting in-house programs to fight staff obesity and the skyrocketing costs of paying for weight-related illness and injury. Union Pacific, for example, says 54 percent of its workforce is overweight. Company accountants reckon that reducing that number to 44 percent could save them $16.9 million annually. NYT, 10/12/03

Resources

Quick and Healthy Recipes and Menus
Healthy Chicken Recipes and Cooking Tips
The EatingWell Diet
Heart Healthy Diet Center