Who’d have thought that healthy food could be the next blockbuster prescription drug? To combat the prevalence and cost of Type 2 diabetes, doctors and other health professionals are increasingly prescribing fresh fruit and vegetables to their patients as an alternative to medicine and recently Chef Michael Nischan of Wholesome Wave made a thought provoking comment that as a nation, we can eat our way out of national debt. As detailed in this article, the results have been nothing short of amazing – patients are losing weight and getting their blood sugar levels under control. There is something to “An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away,” after all!
At Rainier, we are proud of our role in supporting consumers’ healthy lifestyles through our selection of fresh and delicious fruit varieties. However, a few years ago we realized we could be doing more on this front for our employees by offering them access to healthy and inexpensive food for lunch and snacks. In 2004, we opened a licensed kitchen – offering a salad bar, and other ‘convenience’ foods such as protein bars and shakes, and salami, fruit, cheese and nut snack packs. Offering employees a healthy lunch alternative has been a hit! Currently, we serve about 250 plates daily and 500 plates on the last Tuesday of every month when we offer our employees a free lunch. Our kitchen is non-profit so we sell meals at cost — the most employees will pay for lunch is $4.
Two of our long-time employees, Maria de la Luz Corona Alvarez and Delfina Léon, are regulars at the kitchen. Having worked with us for 16 and 29 years respectively, they remember how it was before the kitchen opened, when more traditional employee cafeteria fare such as cup-of-noodles, hot pockets, muffins and cookies was the only game in town. Access to healthy food through the workplace has inspired them to look at their lives in a more holistic way. For example, exercise has now become an integral part of both women’s routines. Delfina is a regular swimmer and you can find her on our Walking Path four times a week. Maria enjoys taking her children and dog to the park to get in her 10,000 steps. For both Maria and Delfina, a combination of healthy eating and exercise lets them achieve their ultimate goal: to live well, and to enjoy — and keep up – with their large families. Maria has four children, and Delfina has two adult children with four grandchildren. Delfina also enjoys volunteering for events, including Relay for Life benefiting the American Cancer Society.
It has been such a joy for us to see the impact that a healthy lifestyle has had on their lives and the small part we played in it. Having cheerleaders at both work and home has given them the encouragement to achieve their goals so they can focus on what’s most important: family. To Maria and Delfina, being #WholesometotheCore is a positive attitude, working and living in a supportive environment, and taking good care of themselves through eating well and exercising.
Maria and Delfina are just two of our wonderful employees who are living lives that are #WholesometotheCore. Look for more profiles in future blog posts and see how we help all of our employees live there best lives and celebrate Wholesome to the Core.