In October Time Magazine published a excerpts from set of interviews they did called “Green Roundtable.” One comment, by Dan Barber, executive chef and co-owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns (where do they come up with these names?) intrigued me. Dan said, “People have to cook more. If we just cook more, food becomes less processed, by definition.”
One of the reasons that there are more and more processed foods–pre-prepared and take-out–is that everyone, men and women, is working too hard. This is where I believe women business owners can make a difference. We know in our heart of hearts that food matters. It matters emotionally in the breaking of bread together, and it matters to our health. One aspect that we don’t always remember is that it matters to the planet to have less processing going on.
I have become more aware, through the work of my brilliant weight-loss coach, Isabelle Johansen, that what I eat affects my ability to function. Food is, quite literally, brain food. Load up on sugar and salt and I lose focus rather quickly. Not enough veggies and I feel sluggish. And I know that the people I work with have similar reactions.
So how can we make a difference? I am a proponent of what I am calling “Holistic Business Management.” Women do everything in their lives more holistically than men do, probably because our brains aren’t wired to divide up our world into little boxes. The interconnections matter and it’s time that we acknowledge that they do. We need to build time to prepare, eat and savor our food, no matter the current business climate. In fact, with the economy at a standstill, what better time than to give employees permission to eat well and see what happens?
Here are a few of my thoughts. I’d love to hear yours–leave a comment below.
- Help local farmers set up a market once a week in your parking lot. Or have your office become part of a local food co-op to bring fresh, seasonal foods into the office once a week for everyone to share.
- Encourage pot-locks of traditional foods once a month.
- Provide basic refrigeration, cooking and water options for your employees.
- Help employees manage time to leave early enough to prepare food.
- Have your next staff meeting at a Fresh Prep style kitchen.
- Have a chef come in and demonstrate how to create fast, quality meals for your family.
Your thoughts?
