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September Employee Well-being News

This month's news: 

• Culinary Services:

Biometric Health Screenings

We're thrilled to announce that Healthy OHIO has forged a new partnership with School of Nursing to provide this year's on-site Biometric Health Screening events (dates TBA). Online scheduling will open soon*! In the meantime...

Enroll on Personify: Pre-enrollment on Personify is required for spouses/partners and highly encouraged for employees. A spouse/partner must be verified as enrolled on Personify before they are able to schedule an appointment. This can take several weeks, so enroll now!  

Enroll in Personify Health

*Eligible employees will receive an email from HealthyOHIO@ohio.edu when scheduling opens. 

Employee Free Week at WellWorks

Sleep and Rest Program

Throughout this 8-week course, participants will hear from local experts on a variety of topics in relationship to sleep. Participants will be asked to identify and practice the interventions that may work best for their well-being. Virtual via Teams, Wednesdays at noon, Oct 1 - Nov 18.
Learn More >>

Culinary Services: Employee Meal Plans and Favorite Recipes 

Employee Meal Plans

ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ’s Faculty and Staff Meal Plans make it easier for employees and certain graduate students to enjoy campus dining while connecting with colleagues and students outside of the classroom. Available to all benefits-eligible faculty and staff, as well as graduate students holding full-time GA, RA, TA, or RD appointments (15–20 hours/week), these plans are valid through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.

Plans are conveniently loaded onto your OHIO ID within one business day of purchase through the Faculty/Staff Meal Plan eMarket, making them ready to use almost immediately.

Flexible Options for Every Schedule

Faculty and Staff Meal Plans are designed to fit a variety of dining habits—from quick coffee breaks to full meals on campus. Options include:

• Flex Point Plans – Preloaded dollar amounts to spend like cash at dining courts, Campus Cafés, food trucks and through the OHIO EATS mobile ordering app.
• Meal Swipe Plans – A set number of meals to use at residential dining courts and select retail venues.

With prices ranging from $55 to $224, there’s a plan to match both frequent diners and those who visit campus dining less often.

Benefits Beyond Convenience

• Cashless & Seamless – All points or swipes are tied to your OHIO ID, eliminating the need to carry cash.
• Campus-Wide Access – Use your plan at dining courts, cafés, food trucks and even through mobile ordering.
• Community Engagement – Dining together encourages informal, meaningful connections with students and colleagues.

Getting Started

Enrolling is simple: choose your plan through the , complete your purchase and your benefits will be available on your OHIO ID within one business day.

Whether you’re grabbing lunch between classes, meeting a colleague for coffee or enjoying a full meal with students, ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ’s Faculty and Staff Meal Plans provide value, flexibility and a stronger connection to campus life.

Chili Recipes

If you have ever visited the District on West Green or Nelson Court on South Green, you might have enjoyed Culinary Services' popular White Chili or Beef Chili (and their vegan counterparts). Below, Culinary Services shares recipes for those popular dishes along with a vegan alternative from WellWorks. 

• 2 lbs ground beef*
• 2-3 yellow onions diced
• 1-2 green peppers de seeded and diced
• 15 ounce can tomato pure
• 2 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes & liquid
• 8 oz. tomato juice
• Granulated sugar to taste
• 2 Tablespoons chili powder 
• 1 teaspoon cumin 
• Cayenne pepper to taste (~1/4 teaspoon)
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1-2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon beef bouillon 
• 15 ounce can light kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 ounce can dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• Heat a pot with a small amount of oil. Add diced onions and allow to become tender. 
• Add ground beef and crumble up while cooking. 
• Add spices. Tip: be conservative when adding cayenne pepper as it will bring more heat to your dish the longer it cooks. 
• Once beef and onions are tender, add tomato products (juice and diced) add beef bouillon and water.  
• Allow to simmer on low for at least 1 hour, stirring periodically.
• Can be served alone or over rice or pasta. Top with salsa and/or your preferred cheese.

• 2 lbs ground turkey, chicken or diced chicken
• 2 15 oz cans great northern beans, drained (*or more)
• 1 Tablespoon oil of choice
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 Tablespoon chicken base/broth
• 4 cups water
• Garnish with: Salsa  and  Shredded cheese (such as cheddar and pepper jack)

• Heat a pot with a small amount of oil. Add diced onions and garlic. Allow to become tender.
• Add ground or diced protein and saute until golden brown.
• Add spices. Tip: be conservative when adding cayenne pepper as it will bring more heat to your dish the longer it cooks.
• Add chicken bouillon or base and water. Allow to simmer on low for at least 1 hour, stirring periodically.
• Can be served alone or over rice or pasta. Top with salsa and/or your preferred cheese.
   

• 2-4 medium onions, diced
• 2-4 cups chopped bell peppers (various colors: green, red, yellow, orange)
• 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 15 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can white beans beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can unsalted sweet kernel corn, drained (optional)
• 4 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 t salt
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• In a large pot, saute onions and peppers in a scant amount of oil.
• Add tomatoes and spices, heat to boiling.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer 2-3 hours on stove top (or high for 4-6 hours in slow cooker).
• Stir in beans and corn (optional) and continue to cook until heated through.

*Suggested modifications from Louise Cruz RDN. LD.  

• When using ground beef, choose lean by looking at the lean meat to fat ratio. 80/20 has 20% fat by weight.  When using in a cooking liquid, such as soup, stew, or chili,  90/10 is a great choice.
• You can decrease the ratio of meat to beans to increase the fiber and decrease the fat, while keeping the protein content.
• With canned foods and broths, choose low sodium or salt free. Drain and rinse canned foods to remove some of the sodium.

Free Employee Yoga

Join WellWorks yoga instructor, Jessica, on Thursdays at 5:30pm in Grover Center (Athens) for Restorative Yoga. This is free and open to all ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ employees, WellWorks membership not required. 

Personify Health Walking Challenge

Teams for the next University-wide walking challenge will start forming on October 6! The challenge, "Hidden Art Around the World," will occur October 16-30. Pack your sketchbook, camera and curiosity as we traverse the world in search of diverse art that’s made its mark on history. 

Log In to Personify

Become a Wellness Champion

Wellness Champions are ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ employees who wish to support their colleagues along their wellbeing journeys. We understand that wellness is a unique journey for each individual and every department on campus has different opportunities for wellness in the workplace. That's why we need advocates across all of our campuses!

Become a Champ