Meeting attendees tend to indulge more and move less when they are away from home and their normal routines. These tendencies are not good for them, or your meeting. Sluggish meeting attendees are not attentive, participatory meeting attendees. Creating a culture of health and wellness in meetings and conferences is an important way to help people eat well and be physically active, foster healthier work environments, and cultivate social norms around healthier choices and behaviors. With advice from Angela Amico, from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, along with their actionable toolkit and savvy infographic, you will be well on your way to healthier meetings with attention to easy and sustainable changes to your existing meeting format. Join us to discover: • The rationale for a healthier meeting • Specific recommendations and guidelines for improvement • How to best work with your CVB, hotels and venues for results that matter Moderator: Terri Roberts, Training and Communications for DMAI’s empowerMINT.com Panelist: Angela Amico is a policy associate for the Center for Science in the Public Interest and supports initiatives on sugar drinks, sodium, and healthier foods for public places. Angela serves as a co-chair of the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity’s (NANA) subcommittees on Food Service Guidelines and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Prior to joining CSPI in 2015, Angela received her Master’s in Public Health from New York University and her Bachelor’s in Science in Nutrition from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. Angela has worked with the World Health Organization, the New York University SeedProgram, and the New York State Health Foundation. The Center for Science in the Public Interest is a consumer advocacy organization whose twin missions are to conduct innovative research and advocacy programs in health and nutrition, and to provide consumers with current, useful information about their health and well-being.

1. Thank you for
joining us!

2. The rationale for a
healthier meeting
Specific
recommendations and
guidelines for
improvement
How to best work with
your CVB, hotels and
venues for results that
matter
Our Webinar Roadmap

3. Angela Amico, MPH
Policy Associate
Center for Science
in the Public
Interest
Our Panelist

4. Center for Science in the Public Interest
• Educate and mobilize the public
• Coordinate coalitions and partnerships
• Support federal, state, and local legislation
• Encourage responsible industry practices
• Share science-based nutrition information and clarify
misinformation

5. Why Healthier Meetings?
• Workplaces should support the health of their employees.
• Nearly half of our waking hours are spent at work.
• Foods served at meetings and conferences is usually unhealthy.
• There is little opportunity to be active during the day.

6. • Many Americans eat excessively large portion sizes, too much saturated
and trans fat, sodium, added sugars, and refined grains, and do not eat
enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Most Americans do not meet the minimum recommendation for physical
activity, which is 150 minutes a week.
Why Healthier Meetings?
• Adopting healthy meeting
standards helps to create high
energy meeting environments
that support healthy choices.

7. What makes a meeting healthy?
 Nutrition
 Physical
Activity
 Sustainability
 Smoke-Free

8. Nutrition

9. Nutrition
• Offer fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lower-sodium options.
• Make the majority of meat options poultry, fish, shellfish, or lean (unprocessed
meat, and provide a vegetarian option.
• Offer foods prepared in a
healthier way: grilled, baked,
poached, roasted, braised, or
broiled.
• For beverages, offer water, and
unsweetened coffee and teas,
and offer with low- or non-fat
milk. Consider not offering
sodas or other sweetened
drinks.
• Offer low-sodium and low-fat
condiments and offer them on
the side.

10. Nutrition
• Be careful of dishes that seem to be healthy, but are not.

11. Nutrition
• Where
• Place healthier foods, like fruits and vegetables, first in the buffet line.
• Do not place candy or candy bowls in the meeting place.
• Offer modest-sized plates and bowls.
• When
• Consider not serving food at
breaks that are not mealtimes,
or offer fresh fruits and
vegetables.

12. It’s NOT just about the food…
what other things should be on your healthy meeting checklist?

13. Physical Activity
• Offer opportunities to stand up or stretch during meetings.
• Periodically break up sitting time.
• Provide adapted programming or
alternative activities for those with
physical disabilities.
• Identify someone to facilitate a
short physical activity break.
• Look into hotels and venues that
offer fitness facilities. Provide
walking and running maps of the
area around the location.

14. Sustainability
• Reduce waste and packaging whenever
possible.
• Encourage participants to bring reusable
water bottles and offer re-fill stations
• Have recycling bins and composting bins,
where available.
• Provide handouts on a flash drive or make
them available online to reduce paper.
• Use locally-sourced and sustainably-
produced food and giveaways when
possible.

15. Smoke-Free
• Meetings should be held in smoke-free and tobacco-free facilities.

16. Tips for Success
• Work with on-site caterers to plan a healthier menu from what
they offer.
• Sample the menu that you have planned with the caterer.
• Make activity breaks fun.
• Ask for feedback from event
participants and keep an eye
on what went well.
• Promote your organization’s
commitment to offering
healthier meeting
environments.

17. 1. Serve fruit for dessert.
2. Serve veggies with hummus instead of ranch dip.
3. Use smaller plates, bowls, and serving utensils.
4. Offer infused water in place of soda and other sugary drinks.
5. Place fruits and vegetables first in the buffet line.
6. Organize a walking group during meeting breaks.
7. Cut bagels into quarters.
8. Save money and reduce waste by ordering fewer portions than
expected attendance.
9. Serve dressing and condiments on the side.

18. CSPI Resources
• More information available at healthymeeting.org
• E-mail: aamico@cspinet.org

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