In buildings across America, the breakroom is the heart and soul of the office — the central spot for employees to eat their lunches, relax and socialize.

Breakrooms are also often an overlooked opportunity when it comes to worksite wellness.

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When done right, it can be a place that creates an enjoyable work environment and encourages healthy habits throughout the day.

For a healthier, happier workforce, you want to make sure you're providing the best breakroom environment for your employees.

Your breakroom should be a re-charging, rejuvenating space where employees can take their minds of work. You also want to remove any barriers to healthy eating — like the big bowl of candy.

The good news is you don't have to have the largest, swankiest breakroom in the world in order to boost health and keep your employees happy.

Here are eight easy steps that can help you create a healthy breakroom for your employees:

1. Make water easy

Hydrating with water should be the easy choice at work. Be sure to have a water cooler that works and cups that aren't too small. You could also invest in an ice maker, flavor packets or fruit infused water.

2. Good coffee

Splurge a little to get the coffee your employees actually want to drink. Many workplaces are switching to single-cup brewing systems like Keurig. This way every employee can have access to gourmet coffee or tea.  

3. Healthy snacks

Most employees will choose the complimentary breakroom snacks over purchasing their own. So be sure to provide free, nutritious snacks for your employees. Employees love items like whole fruit, vegetables, nuts, yogurt or protein bars.

4. Fridge system

Providing refrigerators encourages employees to bring in home-cooked meals. You'll need to invest in a fridge large enough for your workforce as over packed refrigerators won't keep food cooled properly. Encourage organization by establishing a label system that's clear to everyone, and throw out any abandoned food at the end of each week.

5. Recycling

In this day and age, most places make some effort to recycle. It is not only good for the environment, but helps provide a healthier place for us to live and work. If you don't have a recycle bin anywhere else in the office, get one in the breakroom.

6. Labels and markers

You can encourage employees to bring their own lunches and snacks by ensuring those lunches and snacks won't be snatched up. Make your food labeling system clear and easy by providing labels (or tape) and markers or pens.

7. Cleanliness

There's nothing worse than a dirty breakroom crawling with germs — it can also be stressful and physically unhealthy. Be sure you keep the breakroom clean and organized. Make it a stress-free space for employees to enjoy a few minutes throughout the day.

8. Utensils and supplies

There's nothing more frustrating than packing a lunch and feeling like you need to pack your entire kitchen along with it. You can make homemade lunches a better option for your employees by providing plates, bowls and silverware for them to use. If you don't have a sink or dishwasher, keep the disposable supplies well-stocked.

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