Appendix: Nourishment
N01.1 – Ensure fruit and vegetable availability
Fruit and vegetable options:
If foods are sold or provided on a daily basis within the project boundary, the selection meets the following requirement:
- At least 50% of available options, including beverages, are fruits and/or vegetables.
N01.2 – Promote fruit and vegetable visibility
If foods are sold or provided on a daily basis within the project boundary, fruits and vegetables meet one of the following requirements:
- Placed at eye level or just below eye level.
- Placed next to cash registers.
- Placed at the end of aisles.
- Placed at the beginning of food service lines.
- Visible from the main building entrance.
- Displayed on countertop, table or other visible surface.
N02.1 – Provide nutritional information
The following nutritional information is clearly displayed (per meal or item) at point-of-decision on packaging, menus or signage for all packaged food and beverage ssold or provided on a daily basis within the project boundary:
- Total calories.
- Macronutrient content (total protein, total fat and total carbohydrate) in weight and/or as a percent of the estimated daily requirements (daily values).
- Total sugar content.
N02.2 – Implement ingredient labeling
The following requirements are met for all non-packaged foods and beverages sold or provided on a daily basis within the project boundary and foods prepared on site (see Appendix N2 for exemptions):
- A list of primary ingredients is clearly displayed (per meal or item) at point-of-decision on packaging, menus or signage. If information is displayed on a digital resource, signage is present at point-of-decision to direct individuals to the digital resource.
- Common food allergens are clearly labeled at point-of-decision on packaging, menus or signage.
N02.3 – Implement refined ingredient labeling
All foods and beverages sold or provided on a daily basis within the project boundary that meet the following conditions are prominently labeled at point-of-decision to indicate high sugar content or partially hydrogenated oils:
- Beverages that contain more than 25 g of sugar per container.
- Non-beverage food items (except whole fruits) that contain more than 25 g of sugar per serving.
- Foods and beverages that contain partially hydrogenated oils.
N03.1 – Limit total sugars
All foods and beverages sold or provided on a daily basis within the project boundary meet the following requirements:
- Beverages do not contain more than 25 g of sugar per container. Bulk containers of 1 L or larger do not contain more than 25 g of sugar per serving.
- At least 25% of beverages contain no sugar per container or serving, or drinking water is available at no cost.
- No non-beverage food item (except whole fruit) contains more than 25 g of sugar per serving.
N03.2 – Promote whole grains
All foods and beverages sold or provided on a daily basis within the project boundary meet the following requirements:
- In at least 50% of grain-based foods, a whole grain is the first ingredient.
- If both whole grain and refined grain options are available, whole grain options do not cost more than their refined grain counterparts (i.e., brown rice does not cost more than white rice).
N03.3 – Manage oils
The following requirements are met:
- All foods and beverages sold or provided on a daily basis within the project boundary do not contain partially hydrogenated oils.
- Frying oils used on-site are discarded before the level of total polar materials (TPM) becomes greater than 24% during operation.
N04.1 – Promote healthy nutritional messaging
Healthy food advertising:
Advertisements for foods and beverages within the project boundary meet the following requirements:
- Sugar-sweeted beverages are not marketed or promoted.
- Deep-fried food options are not marketed or promoted.
Nutritional messaging:
Designated eating areas or common areas contain at least three different instances of messaging per project that communicate at least one of the following:
- Encouragement of the consumption of whole, natural foods.
- Encouragement of the consumption of drinking water.
N04.2 – Implement healthy menu design
The following requirements are met if foods are sold or provided on a daily basis within the project boundary:
- A description of the nutritional criteria used to identify healthy menu items is submitted through WELL Online. Nutritional criteria should be based on dietary, scientific or medical evidence or guidelines.
- On menus and menu boards, healthy menu items are presented according to at least three of the following promotion strategies:
- Included as the default options throughout the menu (e.g., a salad is the default instead of fries or chips).
- Listed using appealing descriptions.
- Visually highlighted through icons, different colors or bolding.
- Listed first in each menu section.
- Listed in prominent areas of the menu (e.g., the top, bottom, corners).
N05.1 – Restrict artificial ingredients
One of the following requirements is met:
- Projects phase out (over a maximum of three years) the use, sale and provision of foods and beverages containing artificial ingredients listed in the table below. Additionally, all foods and beverages sold or provided within the project boundary are clearly labeled on packaging, nearby menus or signage to indicate whether they contain artificial ingredients listed in the table below.
- All foods and beverages sold or provided on a daily basis within the project boundary do not contain artificial ingredients listed in the table below:
Colorings | Blue 1 (E133), Blue 2 (E132), Green 3, Orange B, Citrus Red 2, Red 3 (E127), Red 40 (E129), Yellow 5 (E102), Yellow 6 (E110), carmine, cochineal extract, caramel coloring |
Sweeteners | acesulfame-potassium (acesulfame-k), aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, cyclamate |
Preservatives | sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, potassium bromate, potassium iodate, propyl gallate, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), BVO (brominated vegetable oil) |
N06.1 – Promote healthy portions
Employee dining areas:
Where food is sold or provided on a daily basis within the project boundary, the following requirements are met (as applicable):
- Where meals are sold or provided for employees or visitors, at least one of the following is available for at least half of all offerings:
- Individual items offered in reduced-size or half-size portions (e.g., half-sandwich) and at a lower cost compared to the larger, regular version.
- A version of the main course offered in a reduced-size or half-size portion and at a lower cost compared to the larger, regular version.
- Where meals sold or provided for employees or visitors are self-serve (e.g., buffet) and require the use of a serving plate, bowl or cup, each of the following is met (as applicable):
- Circular plates: the diameter of a plate is no larger than 10 inches.
- Non-circular plates: the total surface area of the plate does not exceed 79 in².
- Bowls (except at salad stations) are no larger than 16 oz.
- Cups (except for water) are no larger than 16 oz.
N07.1 – Provide nutritional education
At least one of the following is offered at no cost:
- Cooking demonstrations on a quarterly basis, at minimum.
- Nutrition or dietary education workshops on a quarterly basis, at minimum.
- Individual nutrition consultations by registered dietitians or certified nutrition professionals on a quarterly basis, at minimum.
- Educational materials including cookbooks, magazines or other literature that promotes healthy eating and nutrition, with at least three different resources available for every 100 regular building occupants or students.
N08.1 – Include designated eating space
The project has a designated eating space for regular building occupants that meets the following requirements:
- Contains tables and chairs to accommodate at least 25% of regular building occupants at peak occupancy. If multiple designated eating spaces are present, the combined seating space must accommodate at least 25% of regular building occupants at peak occupancy.
- Provides protection from environmental elements (e.g., direct sunlight, rain, wind) or is in a climate-controlled space.
N08.2 – Provide daily meal breaks
The following requirement is met:
- Eligible employees and students (as applicable) have a daily meal or lunch period of at least 30 minutes and the opportunity to eat away from their workstation.
N09.1 – Manage allergies and alternatives
Meals, including catered meals; include at least one main course option for each of the following criteria upon request:
- Peanut-free.
- Gluten-free.
- Lactose-free.
- Egg-free.
- Containing no animal, seafood or dairy products.
- Containing no animal or seafood products, except for eggs and dairy.
N09.2 – Implement enhanced ingredient labeling
All foods and beverages provided by catering within the project boundary meet the following requirements:
- A list of primary ingredients is clearly displayed (per meal or item) at point-of-decision on packaging, menus or signage.
- Common food allergens are clearly labeled at point-of-decision on packaging, menus or signage.
N10.1 – Provide meal support
Employee dining areas:
At least one dining space contains the following supportive amenities that meet employee demand:
- Cold storage.
- Countertop surface.
- Sink and amenities for dish and hand washing.
- Device for reheating food (e.g., microwave, toaster oven).
- Dedicated cabinets or storage units available for employee use.
- Reusable eating utensils, including spoons, forks, knives and microwave-safe plates and cups.
N11.1 – Implement responsible sourcing
Sustainable sourcing:
For foods and beverages sold or provided on a daily basis within the project boundary, the total product line meets the following criteria:
- At least 50% of the total produce line (fruits and vegetables) is certified organic.
- At least 25% of the total animal product line (meat, seafood, egg and dairy products) is certified organic, Certified Humane®, or certified by a GSSI-recognized Seafood Certification Scheme.
Sustainable labeling:
Sustainable and humane agriculture is promoted through the following (as applicable):
- Certified organic and Certified Humane® products are labeled at point-of-decision.
- Local farms or sources are advertised at point-of-decision for locally sourced foods.
N12.1 – Provide gardening space
The project provides a permanent and accessible space for food production within 0.5 mi of the project boundary that meets the following requirements:
- The space includes at least one of the following:
- Garden or greenhouse with food-bearing plants.
- Edible landscaping (e.g., fruit trees, herbs).
- Hydroponic or aeronomic farming system.
- The space is open to regular building occupants during regular building hours and foods grown are made available to regular building occupants.
- The space is at least 1 ft2 per eligible employee or 0.5 ft2 per student, whichever area is greater (up to a maximum of 750 ft2). The area calculated is the actual growing area (vertical or horizontal) used for the production of food-bearing plants.
N12.2 – Provide planting support
The following requirements are met:
- Gardening space(s) are managed and maintained for a minimum of three years.
- Training, programming or educational opportunities are made available to regular building occupants (e.g., gardening workshops, plant harvesting guidelines) and offered quarterly, at minimum.
- Projects provide planting supplies, including planting medium, watering system, lighting (interior spaces only), plants and gardening tools.
N13.1 – Ensure food access
At least one of the following requirements is met:
- The project is located within 0.5 mi walk distance of a supermarket or store with a fruits and vegetables section.
- The project is located within 0.5 mi walk distance of a farmers' market that is open at least once a week and operates for at least four months of the year.
- The project serves as a distribution point for community-based agriculture programs and has the resource capacity to deliver fruits and vegetables to regular building occupants at least twice a month for at least four months of the year.
- The project hosts on-site, weekly sale of fruits and vegetables within the project boundary (e.g., through food carts or mobile markets).