LOS ALAMITOS, CA — In February, Friedas launched a company-wide health awareness initiative to motivate its 75 employees to adopt healthier lifestyles. Called Friedas Healthy Initiative, the ongoing program is aligned with the companys corporate mission and strategies.
With the mission of changing the way America eats, it only made sense to start with ourselves, said Karen Caplan, CEO of Friedas Inc. The produce industry needs to practice what it preaches.
A group of Friedas employees formed a task force to design internal programs and activities centered around three main strategies that correspond directly to the companys external business plan: changing eating habits, measuring results and education.
Tactics for changing employee eating habits include replacing vending machines to offer healthier drink and snack choices, offering free fruit bowls to employees each week, and additional incentive programs to cut out junk food in the workplace.
To measure results, Friedas employees are currently participating in a Biggest Losers-style competition. Similar to the popular reality TV show, the voluntary, 3-month-long program features 8 employee teams competing to have the highest percentage of weight loss at the end of the competition. The top three winning teams will receive cash prizes.
Friedas Biggest Losers has really brought our employees together with a sense of teamwork, Caplan said. Working together in teams makes the challenge of weight loss and healthy eating a lot more fun.
After the completion of Friedas Biggest Losers, the company will begin a 3-month-long pedometer program in which employees will compete for prizes for the greatest distance walked.
For the educational component, employees will be taking part in a Produce University for Healthier Choices, which includes monthly educational workshops on making healthier food choices and how-to seminars on cooking with healthier ingredients.
The Friedas Healthy Initiative task force continues to plan and develop additional programs and contests that will foster employee wellness in a fun, competitive environment.
Friedas is passionate about changing the way America eats. Founded in 1962 by Frieda Caplan, Frieda’s, Inc. was the first wholesale produce company in the U.S. to be founded, owned and operated by a woman. Once a small produce stand at the Los Angeles Produce Market, Frieda’s has emerged as the nation’s premier marketer and distributor of specialty produce and now offers more than 600 specialty items to grocery stores and foodservice distributors throughout the U.S. and Canada. America has Friedas to thank for introductions to Kiwifruit, Shallots, Cherimoyas, Donut Peaches, Sugar Snap Peas and Habanero Peppers and the innovations just keep coming.
Source: Frieda’s Inc.
