This article is part of the special “Employer Branding Best Practices” published in the January 2024 edition of Human Resources, within the Employer Branding Conference 2024, promoted by Talent Portugal.
We want to continue to bring this solution to more nutritionists and regions, with the ultimate goal of supporting all nutritionists globally in providing more personalized support to their clients.
André Santos – CEO and co-founder
About six years ago, André Santos founded Nutrium with the goal of improving how nutritionists provide nutritional advice . From there, the company evolved and launched Nutrium Care, a program that not only transforms people's health but also highlights the importance of nutritionists for businesses.
“Nutrium was born from my experience with a nutritionist. However, the experience fell short of expectations: I only received some handwritten recommendations on a piece of paper. I didn’t manage to lose weight, I just lost motivation. This experience led me to rethink the way nutritionists provide nutritional advice to patients and inspired the idea of creating nutrition software to help nutritionists offer more personalized support, which gave rise to Nutrium in 2015,” explains André Santos, CEO and co-founder of the company.
Currently, the software is used by more than 250 nutritionists in 90 countries . And after six years of working with nutritionists of various nationalities, the manager argues that "poor eating habits represent one of the main global problems, while nutritionists have been experiencing great difficulties in attracting patients." In this sense, Nutrium assumes the mission of highlighting the relevance of these professionals in transforming eating habits , namely through Nutrium Care – a program that uses companies as a means to provide specialized support, promoting healthy eating habits.
Innovation and development
Regarding objectives, the manager explains that Nutrium doesn't limit itself to providing individual changes, as it also aims to transform entire organizations to the point of elevating the importance of nutrition in a corporate context. To date, the company has already assisted more than two and a half million people in an attempt to help change eating habits.
“We want to continue bringing this solution to more nutritionists and regions, with the ultimate goal of supporting all nutritionists globally in providing more personalized care to their clients ,” he adds. Furthermore, Nutrium is also focusing on a second objective: “ to increase the value and demand for nutritionists' services .” According to Nutrium's CEO, the company reached the milestone of five million eligible employees in Portugal, Spain, and Brazil in 2023. For next year, the company's objective is very clear: “to surpass 20 million employees worldwide.”
Regarding the advantages of Nutrium Care, André Santos emphasizes that it is an innovative program for companies that offers employees personalized support through online nutrition consultations, interactive activities – such as webinars and cooking demonstrations – as well as nutritional support anytime, anywhere.
In parallel, this program also offers a diverse network of professionals , allowing each employee to find the ideal nutritionist for their specific needs, thus obtaining a specialized response . Another innovation of Nutrium Care is the "online, asynchronous, and proactive experience ." For questions regarding the meal plan, a direct chat with the nutritionist is available, preventing the employee from having to wait until the consultation to obtain clarifications. Furthermore, this program operates in several countries and offers support in various languages, providing a global approach to nutrition.
“Nutrium Care also stands out for its ease of implementation , being a ‘turnkey’ solution with rapid implementation . This approach eliminates the workload for Human Resources, simplifying the onboarding process in companies,” highlights André Santos.
Trends, challenges and impact
Nutrium Care has been positively impacting employee satisfaction . According to data revealed by the company's co-founder, 93% of employees say they are satisfied with the nutritional support. Additionally, 59% of employees would also recommend this program to a colleague or family member, while the nutritionists involved in the program have an average rating of 9,94 out of 10.
“The receptiveness from companies has been remarkable. Our greatest achievement is the surprise of the Human Resources teams when they adopted the program and saw the high level of employee engagement and the inspiring success stories we shared,” he shares.
In this context, it is further highlighted that "after the integration of Nutrium Care into the corporate culture, there was a real transformation in people's lives , evidenced by significant weight reductions, improvements in Body Mass Index (BMI) and improvements in various diseases." These results are reflected in employee feedback: "nine out of 10 recommend the program and 97% of employees say they are very satisfied with their nutritionist."
Regarding the obstacles, the person in charge explains that the main challenge "has been getting into organizations and making nutrition a priority for companies." Furthermore, he assures that all institutions that join the program will have access to flexible benefits , reduced prices , and partnerships.
According to André Santos, “once a company tries the program, the benefits of the program for the health and well-being of employees become clear.” He also explains that integrating the program into the benefits package also “makes companies stand out in the job market, attracting qualified talent and reinforcing their reputation as employers of choice.”
Regarding trends, the manager foresees a future in which companies will assume increasing responsibility for the well-being and health of their employees. Organizations will begin to implement a comprehensive corporate well-being plan , focused essentially on three main areas: nutrition , mental health , and physical exercise . "We anticipate an evolution in work models, favoring greater autonomy and flexibility for employees, providing a healthier balance between personal and professional lives," he adds.
In conclusion, Nutrium not only provides an effective solution for transforming eating habits, but also leads the change in companies' perception of corporate well-being . With ambitious plans to expand globally and strategic partnerships, Nutrium is poised to shape the future of the sector, anticipating trends that promote a healthy balance between nutrition, mental health, and physical exercise.
