Sustainable choices with lunch benefit

We want to encourage those who enjoy the benefits of Edenred to live well and sustainably. If all half a million users of our benefits would think about the environment in their daily choices, we could together do a huge amount of sustainable actions around Finland. So take both your well-being and the well-being of the environment into account when enjoying your lunch - sustainability has never tasted so delicious!  

Three easy everyday actions - enjoy a sustainable lunch with your lunch benefit

1. Go for plant-based lunches

The lunch benefit is the most popular employee benefit in Finland, giving you a nutritious break from your working day. The popularity of a plant-based diet is growing and the trend is here to stay.

Choose colorful, vegetable-rich lunch dishes to put on your plate. A plant-based diet tastes delicious and has many health benefits, such as helping to control blood pressure and keep cholesterol in check.*

2. Minimize food waste at home and in lunch restaurants

Food waste is edible food that ends up in the trash. Waste can be avoided through good planning. In Finland, around 20-25 kg of food is thrown away per person per year, which is a waste not only of food and money but also of natural resources. Every kilo of food thrown away is a huge amount that we can easily reduce by paying more attention to when shopping for food and cooking.**

The amount of food waste in restaurants and other catering services is also unfortunately high, with around 61 000 000 kg (you read that right, 61 MILLION kilos) of food ending up in the trash each year. Waste in the food service sector is caused by food being thrown away from the lines, usually by customers. In addition, there is waste from leftovers and cooking.** When enjoying your lunch benefit at a standing table in a lunch restaurant, only put what you eat on your plate. Remember, you can always get more food from the standing table! 

You can use your lunch benefit as a means of payment in many grocery stores. You can help reduce waste by taking advantage of discounts offered by shops, for example at sushi bars and fresh food counters. Both nature and your wallet will thank you.

3. Choose domestic, seasonal ingredients

Finland's four seasons affect the quality, taste, availability, and price of ingredients. By choosing to eat the best vegetables and fruits from each season, your diet will have more variety and be healthier and you can easily try new things. 

Seasonal eating is also a sustainable choice, as the production of seasonal ingredients requires less energy and fertilizers.*** By taking into account the seasons, you can enjoy delicious and environmentally friendly meals and reduce your carbon footprint.

We take both large and small steps as we implement sustainable development 

Edenred supports sustainable development in big and small steps: the values of sustainable development guide our actions now and in the future, through small daily actions as well as global sustainability and charity projects. Together with our network of companies and the users of our benefits, we support sustainable development, encourage healthy lifestyles and enhance overall well-being. Together, we are more. 

Sources: 

* Ravitsemuspassi (28.12.2021)
** Hävikkiviikko (28.12.2021) (In Finnish)
*** Ruokatieto (28.12.2021)