How Care.com, DoorDash and ezCater create community through food

• Key Insight: Discover how employer-funded food benefits are shifting from perks to core workforce strategy.  
• What's at Stake: Rising food insecurity could increase healthcare costs, reduce productivity, and strain retention.  
• Forward Look: Prepare for increased employer investment in meal benefits amid policy and assistance changes.
• Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review

As workplaces continue to evolve to meet the needs of a modern, often overstretched workforce, one of the most meaningful investments employers can make is surprisingly simple: Helping employees access nutritious, affordable food.

Food benefits — whether in the form of stipends, meal delivery partnerships, on-site snacks or grocery support — have quickly become more than a "perk." They're emerging as a critical strategy for supporting employee well-being, easing financial stress and strengthening workplace culture.

This matters more than ever. Food insecurity is on the rise among working adults, driven by inflation, caregiving costs and shifting household budgets. Recent threats and cuts to federal food assistance programs have highlighted the struggle faced by many working Americans today. When employees struggle to put meals on the table, it affects far more than their wallets; it impacts focus, energy levels, productivity and emotional well-being. By offering thoughtful food benefits, employers can help close this gap and show their workforce that support extends beyond the office walls.

Read more: Employers prioritize wellness benefits in 2025, despite rising costs

Thanksgiving offers a powerful moment to reflect on the role these benefits play as employers and employees reflect on gratitude and community. Employers who invest in food benefits aren't just easing a daily burden; they're reinforcing a sense of care, stability, and appreciation that resonates deeply during the holiday season.

Read on to see why these top employers are prioritizing healthy food in the workplace, and how you can provide a sense of safety through these benefits for your teams, too.

Why food access might be the next big thing in healthcare benefits

According to the CDC, chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes, account for nearly 75% of healthcare spending in the U.S. But it's estimated that more than 90% of type 2 diabetes, 80% of Coronary artery disease (a common type of heart disease) and 70% of strokes are potentially preventable, with diet being a prominent factor, as cited by the National Institute of Health. So shouldn't access to nutritional food be an essential healthcare benefit? 

 "Food is such a massive boon in disease prevention and personal health, in addition to treatment and care," says Samantha Citro-Alexander, CEO of healthcare company Bitewell.

Bitewell, which is centered on helping employees pay for and choose the best foods for their health goals and conditions. Employers decide how much money to give their employees to spend toward food, and Bitewell provides nutritional intelligence on 85% of the U.S. food supply.

Read more about the preventive qualities of food-based benefits right here: Why food access might be the next big thing in healthcare benefits

How the leader of DoorDash for Business makes feeding a workforce easy

Providing meals is a universally-pleasing employee benefit, but time spent managing complicated logistics and staying within budget can leave leaders with a bad taste in their mouths. Katie Egan, general manager at DoorDash for Business, makes sure this process is streamlined, ensuring top-notch customer service in the process. 

"There's a level of quality and logistics that needs to happen above and beyond what it might take for someone to deliver dinner to your home on Friday night," Egan says. "If I'm spending that much money as a company, or I've got thousands of employees who are using a service every day, I expect that things are going to be completely seamless, and if [it's not], they get resolved immediately and in a way that is in line with what I need as a company."

Global meal delivery platform DoorDash, originally founded in 2013, offers consumers access to a wide variety of local food and grocery delivery and pickup options on one site. DoorDash for Business builds on this foundation, offering tools that allow employer clients to easily predict and manage spending, set up various meal offerings for everything from corporate events to employee daily lunches, and streamline auditing and expenses. 

Read more about DoorDash for Business's approach to healthy eating in the workplace: How the leader of DoorDash for Business makes feeding a workforce easy

How providing good food boosts Care.com's RTO strategy

Care.com is on a mission to create an RTO-friendly work environment. Providing employees with six free meals a month through a partnership with ezCater is an enticing part of their initiative to keep employees showing up.  

The company already hosts monthly Monday breakfasts, lunches at monthly town halls and for various cultural holidays. In 2024, Care.com partnered with ezCater, which provides multiple local restaurant options for each office, as well as centralized management of ordering and expenses. The impacts of combining face-to-face connection with good food have been felt across the company: A recent case study shows Monday breakfast attendance tripled at two locations, town hall attendance has doubled, and the team in charge saves 100 hours of administrative work. 

"[It's about coming to the office] and knowing you're taken care of," says Wes Burke, Care.com's chief people officer. "We want to make sure it is comfortable and inviting."

Read more about the role of food in making RTO more successful: How providing good food boosts Care.com's RTO strategy