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PEOPLE | JUNE 2023

Nobody Likes to Be Told What to Eat

ISS Guckenheimer Director of Workplace Innovation, Amelia Ekus, spoke to Pulse Pod about the Beans is How campaign and the role of food in the workplace.

Amelia Ekus

Director of Workplace Innovation, ISS Guckenheimer

Food is a personal and essential component of our lives, often linked directly to our social interactions and daily rituals. What constitutes a healthy and sustainable diet can vary from person to person, which means that in workplace foodservice, it’s important for individuals to have plenty of information on what they’re consuming with a variety of appealing options.


Recently, ISS Guckenheimer’s Director of Workplace Innovation, Amelia Ekus, spoke with Pulse Pod’s Sonia Sharma to discuss corporate catering’s role in encouraging sustainability and how the company’s involvement with the Beans is How campaign helps boost wellness at client sites. 


A few key excerpts from the interview: 


Food is personal, and the work to be done when it comes to shifting diets must focus on education, authenticity, and appeal, more than anything else. Nobody likes to be told what to eat. People are motivated to eat for many reasons beyond sustenance, including to feel comforted or to experience something authentic or novel. By addressing different consumption motivations, we can incorporate pulses into dishes in a way that makes pulses more accessible and more appealing.

 

“For many of our clients, they consume at least one meal a day at the office. What is considered ‘healthy’ is different for everyone, so our approach is to provide information and education for our guests to make the best choice for their own wellness. By beginning with a baseline of responsibly sourced ingredients, prepared expertly, and inclusive menu planning, we are able to provide a breadth of programming that meets people where they are in their own wellness journey and supports them in their next steps.

 

When I heard about the [Beans is How] campaign, I couldn’t wait to share it with my colleagues at ISS Guckenheimer. As a global provider of a million meals daily, we play an important role in increasing the consumption of beans. Incorporating beans into more of our menu offerings aligns with our larger strategy to shift our offerings to be more plant-forward. While this may represent an adjustment for some of us, plant-based or plant-forward meals are the norm in so many cultures globally.

 

Read Amelia Ekus’s full interview with Pulse Pod here.

Author

Amelia Ekus

Director of Workplace Innovation, ISS Guckenheimer

Contact Ameliamailto:amelia.ekus@guckenheimer.com?subject=Inquiry