Banana 'is workplace’s favourite fruit'

01 March 2013

Forget an apple for the teacher, the key to promotion is to offer your boss a banana. Research by specialist workplace fruit suppliers Fruitful Office reveals that 68 per cent of office workers consider the banana to be their favourite fruit to eat in the workplace. Grapes were a distant second (cited by 14%), followed by peaches (6%) and apples (4%).

And bananas certainly pack a punch. Weighing 150 grams and boasting 140 kcal a medium-sized banana is a good source of potassium, tryptophan, vitamin B6 and fibre and they also contain vitamin C and flavonoids.

Nutritionist and dietician Mariana Costenla says: “Bananas are one of those perfect fruits that nature offers us. They are healthy, sweet and tasty and can be a great ally when it comes to fighting hunger.”

And bananas are definitely healthier than other snacks. “Their flesh is sweet and dense so eating a banana can keep you satisfied until your next meal and prevent you from eating other foods full of sugar and fat, like crackers, for example, which can easily give you twice the calories.”

Fruity benefits
Fruitful Office’s 2012 client research, which quizzed 165 client organisations representing a total 11,550 office workers, about their staff’s fruity eating habits, also revealed that having fresh fruit available in the office improves staff wellbeing. Over 95 per cent of Fruitful’s clients believe their staff valued ‘highly’ or ‘very highly’ having fruit provided to them in the office.

Over 55 per cent said having fruit at the workplace has improved life in the office through the avoidance of unhealthy snacks and 52 per cent through feeling more valued by their employers. There was also a significant positive impact on morale and productivity – and fewer sick days.

Commenting on the results, Fruitful Office director Vasco de Castro said: “Our annual survey shows that in today’s hectic working environment, when people don’t always manage to eat healthily, the availability of fresh fruit at the desk is really appreciated. A banana epitomises this approach as it’s an easy grab-and-go snack that you can eat at your desk.”

Print this page | E-mail this page