Eat Well, Live Well, Work Well
December 29, 2022
Replacing unhealthy eating habits with healthier ones can be difficult, especially if unhealthy habits are all you have ever known. One key to making lasting improvements in your diet is to make changes in stages. Start with a small, simple change and stick to it for a week. After mastering one change, add another.
Here Are Some Ideas to Get You Started:
- Eat breakfast.
- Replace one sugary drink per day with a glass of water.
- Eat one to two more fruits or vegetables each day.
- Plan a healthy snack for each day of the week.
- Switch to a low-fat version of one of your favorite foods.
- Plan three meals and two snacks every day.
- Plan as many home-cooked meals as you can, as they usually have fewer calories, more reasonable portions and cost less than typical meals eaten at restaurants.
Set an Example
Parents play a big role in guiding their children’s eating habits with the examples they set, the foods they make available in the home and the mealtime experiences that they create for their families.
Offer healthy snacks such as fruit, low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt, frozen juice bars, applesauce, celery, apples with peanut butter, raw vegetables, graham crackers, fig bars or whole wheat crackers with low-fat cheese. Large portions contain too many calories.
A good-sized snack for a typical adult may be a single-serving container of yogurt, but for a preschooler, two or three tablespoons of yogurt is enough.
Make Eating Fun for the Whole Family
Family meals can be a time to monitor what children are eating and to reconnect with each other. Involve children in food preparation and clean up, and sit down with them when they eat. The idea is to build healthy lifelong eating habits.
Some healthy eating tips include the following:
- Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables—half your plate at each meal should be vegetables or fruit.
- Beware of sweetened drinks—sodas and sports drinks are high in calories. Keep in mind that the calories in juice can also quickly add up.
- Choose food sensibly when eating out. Restaurants are often required to make nutrition information readily available—if you do not see brochures sitting out, or nutrition information listed on the menu, ask.
Healthy Food Tips When Eating Out
- Ask if you do not know what is in a dish or the serving size.
- Eat the same portion size you would at home.
- Ask for sauces, gravy and dressings on the side—or avoid them altogether.
- Order foods that are not breaded or fried.
- Order fruit for dessert.
- Ask for substitutions, such as a vegetable instead of fries.
- Ask for low-calorie versions of food. Vinegar, oil or a squeeze of lemon are all better than high-fat dressings or sauces.
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The IRS recently announced the updated retirement plan contribution limits for 2026, reflecting cost-of-living adjustments and new guidance under the SECURE 2.0 Act. Whether you’re an employer managing a company plan or an employee planning for your future, these changes are important to understand so you can make the most of your retirement savings. Key Increases for 2026 Some of the most notable updates for defined contribution plans, including 401(k), 403(b), and 457(b) plans, are summarized in the chart below:
As we move into 2026, employers across many states and localities are preparing for significant minimum wage increases. Nearly 20 states and more than 40 local jurisdictions will raise their wage thresholds effective January 1, 2026. This poses important planning, budgeting, and compliance considerations, especially for mid-sized employers like those that partner with Simco, where payroll, HR, benefits and advisory services intersect. Below we’ve summarized key state and local minimum wage updates and outlined the steps you should take now to stay ahead of the changes and mitigate risk. State-Level Minimum Wage Increases (January 1, 2026) The table below highlights selected state increases scheduled for January 1, 2026.
When HR Is Overloaded, Your Business Feels It For many small to mid-sized businesses, HR is one of the most critical (and most overextended) functions. From payroll and benefits to onboarding and compliance reporting, administrative tasks can quickly consume your team’s time, leaving little room for strategic work that actually moves the business forward. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. A recent survey from Champions of Change: isolved’s Fourth-Annual HR Leaders’ Research Study found that 51% of HR leaders spend four or more hours a day answering repetitive questions. This time could be better spent on employee engagement, culture, and growth initiatives. When HR teams are pulled in too many directions, the consequences ripple across the entire organization, resulting in missed deadlines, frustrated staff, compliance risks, and ultimately, higher turnover. Why HR Leaders Consider Outsourcing Outsourcing HR isn’t just for businesses without dedicated HR teams. In fact, a survey of 1,000 HR decision-makers found that 76% could benefit from outsourcing certain tasks, even though only 54% currently have plans to do so. HR outsourcing allows organizations to offload both core and strategic tasks, including payroll, benefits administration, recruitment, onboarding, compliance support, performance management, employee relations, and workforce analytics, without adding headcount. This augmentation provides a multiplier effect: a small HR team can function like a much larger one, accomplishing more in less time. By leveraging experienced HR professionals through outsourcing, organizations can free up internal HR teams to focus on initiatives that directly impact business growth, such as talent development, employee engagement, and culture-building. Routine administrative tasks, when handled externally, no longer distract from these high-value priorities. The True Cost of Administrative Overload Overburdened HR teams don’t just affect your internal operations; they impact your employees’ experience. Inconsistent onboarding can create a rocky first impression for new hires. Delayed payroll or benefits questions lead to frustration and decreased trust. Compliance oversights expose your business to fines and legal risk. Even small inefficiencies add up. According to the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO), organizations that leverage an outsourced HR model achieve an average ROI of 27.2% per year, saving around $1,775 per employee while paying $1,395 per employee for outsourced services. That’s not just cost savings, it’s a reinvestment in your team and your business. The Power of Strategic HR Outsourcing Outsourcing doesn’t mean giving up control or handing HR off to a faceless provider. Done strategically, it’s about extending your team. Administrative tasks like payroll, benefits, onboarding, and reporting can be handled efficiently by experts, while HR teams gain confidence that compliance requirements are being met. Most importantly, it frees internal HR to pivot from reactive, day-to-day tasks toward engagement, culture-building, and retention strategies. Outsourced HR support can scale with your business, providing additional expertise during busy periods, leaves of absence, or rapid growth phases. The impact is clear. Teams feel supported, employees feel heard, and the organization operates smarter, not harder. With the right outsourcing partner, a small HR team can act like a team of 10, and a team of five can perform like a team of 25, all while maintaining compliance and efficiency. Retention Starts With the Right Employee Experience When administrative burdens are reduced, HR teams can focus on creating meaningful experiences for employees. Transparent processes around pay, benefits, and policies build trust. Faster, more organized onboarding leaves a strong first impression. Access to modern self-service HCM tools empowers employees to manage their own information, reducing repetitive questions and improving engagement. By leveraging experienced HR professionals to handle gaps in internal processes, organizations can enhance overall employee satisfaction, ensuring every interaction, from onboarding to open enrollment, feels seamless and supportive. A Smarter Approach to HR Means a Stronger Business Across industries, companies are recognizing that HR outsourcing is no longer a luxury. It’s a strategic advantage. Organizations that adopt a blended model of technology and advisory support report measurable reductions in administrative workload, cost savings compared to maintaining fully in-house HR teams, and improved engagement for employees. Strategic HR outsourcing allows internal teams to shift from transactional tasks to big-picture initiatives, creating a more resilient, efficient, and high-performing workforce. At the end of the day, HR isn’t just a function; it’s the backbone of your organization. When it’s overextended, the entire business suffers. But with the right support, HR teams can focus on meaningful initiatives, employees feel more valued, and the business benefits from measurable ROI. Strategic HR outsourcing isn’t about replacing your team, it’s about empowering it. Your people, your culture, and your bottom line all benefit. Curious how Simco's HR Advisory services can help your business? Let's talk today.
