Tag Archives: healthy vending service

Uncategorized

What Makes Food ‘Healthy’? KIND Calls On The FDA For A Better Definition

Most people want to be healthy in New York City. But one of the iStock_000010677573XSmallhardest things about following a healthy diet is that as the market for healthy food has grown, food marketers have used the term “healthy” very loosely. Refreshment service companies face this problem every day when trying to decide what food and refreshments to provide their customers.
For refreshment service professionals who specialize in “healthy” food in New York City and throughout the country, it is especially important that the food and refreshment be healthy in the truest sense of the word. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has tried to regulate the use of the term “healthy.” Let’s consider how a product earns the right to be labeled “healthy” according to government regulations.
The FDA mandates that the term “healthy” be used as a nutrient content claim to describe foods that contain 3g or less total fat and 1g or less of saturated fat per serving, with the exception of fish and meat, which are required by the regulation to have 5g or less total fat and 2g or less saturated fat per serving.
Is this a good definition? Many would agree with this definition, but the matter is open to debate.
KIND, a manufacturer of snacks that are gluten-free and made from non-genetically engineered ingredients, is urging the FDA to update its regulations around the term “healthy” when used as a nutrient content claim in food labeling. The company filed a petition with the goal of addressing outdated regulations, as well as helping to ensure that the public receives sound and consistent guidance about nutrition.

king bars 800
KIND wants better alignment between food labeling regulations, the latest nutrition science and federal dietary guidelines. The petition reflects broad support within the food science and nutrition community to call attention to the importance of eating real foods made with wholesome and nutrient-rich ingredients as part of a healthy diet.
Today’s regulation precludes nutrient-rich foods such as nuts, avocados, olives and salmon from using the term “healthy” as a nutrient content claim. This is something KIND would like to see changed.
“KIND, with the support from top global nutrition and public health experts, is respectfully urging the FDA to update its current regulations surrounding the use of the word ‘healthy’ as a nutrient content claim. Our goal is to highlight the importance of following a healthy diet that includes foods made with wholesome and nutrient-dense ingredients,” says Daniel Lubetzky, founder and CEO of KIND.
The current regulations were created with the best intentions when Raisons and nutsthe available science supported dietary recommendations limiting total fat intake, Lubetzky says. However, current science tells us that unsaturated fats in nutrient-dense foods like nuts, seeds and certain fish are beneficial to overall health.
In addition to requesting updates to the current nutrient content claim regulations, KIND is also asking the FDA to implement a new framework for regulating dietary guidance statements.
Today in New York City and throughout the country regulations require that the majority of foods featuring a healthy nutrient content claim meet “low fat” and “low saturated fat” standards regardless of their nutrient density. Foods such as certain fat-free puddings and sugary cereals have the ability to use the word “healthy” as a nutrient content claim on their labels.
While healthy food is important, there is still work to be done to arrive at a consensus on what makes a product “healthy.”
These discussions will continue for a long time as nutrition research expands and science learns more about the impact products have on human health.
It is important that food and refreshment service providers give customers all available nutrition information about the products they offer. That’s one feature of a truly professional service specialist. Call Healthy Vending NY today at 917.572.3671 for a free no-obligation consultation of your break room needs.

Uncategorized

Convenience Drives Consumer Breakfast Choices in New York City

Health experts have long noted that breakfast is the most important photodune-3139450-granola-bar-mmeal of the day. Many New York workers are aware of this, but because they are rushed for time in the morning, they often skip breakfast. The availability of healthy breakfast choices has increased in recent years, and this makes the work place vending machine an important benefit for busy New Yorkers who want to eat breakfast.

A 2012 study entitled, “The Benefits of Breakfast Consumption to Combat Obesity and Diabetes in Young People” found that skipping breakfast was strongly associated with obesity. It reported that young people eat breakfast regularly have a higher-quality diet, eat fewer unhealthy snacks and have better body weight management compared with those who skip breakfast.

According to Mintel, the U.S. breakfast foods category is set to increase 26 percent between 2012 and 2017. Consumers have noticed the importance of breakfast and they have appealed for convenient, healthful who and tasteful products to start their day. But for many New Yorkers, getting breakfast has been difficult due to time constraints.
A new study by Instantly indicates more than half of Americans still do not consistently eat breakfast every day of the week. Twelve percent rarely eat breakfast at all. Those who rarely eat breakfast cite lack of time is the second most-selected reason for not doing so, next to not having an appetite in the morning.
Less than half of the respondents (47%) eat breakfast daily and only 25% eat it three or more times a week.
When asked which meal they are most likely to skip, 40% answered breakfast, the most common answer.
young woman eating yogurt“In the U.S., with longer work days that break out of the 9-to-5 model, timing and convenience has become a deciding factor in what many Americans eat in the morning,” said Andy Jolls, chief marketing officer at Instantly. “But that doesn’t mean demand for breakfast foods is low. If companies can provide breakfast in a format that accommodates busy schedules while appealing to taste and nutrition, they could see significant incremental growth.”
When time is a constraint, consumers are likely to grab something on the go (43%) or skip the meal all together (21%). Sixty three percent of respondents eating on the go said they might grab something from home, while 45% will go to a drive-thru restaurant and 31% will stop at a convenience store or gas station.
Only 14% said they would get something at work.
When choosing breakfast, the biggest consideration is taste, cited by 31%; followed closely by health, cited by 30%; followed by convenience, 21%; cost 9%; quality, 6%; and portion size, 2%.
The low number of people getting breakfast at work likely reflects the perception that tasty and healthy options are not available at work. This is where a service like Healthy Vending can provide an important benefit to New York workers.
When we announced Healthy Vending, the positive consumer reaction in New York City confirmed everything we believed about the demand for these products. One of the most unique aspects about our company is that we provide these healthy products conveniently for consumers.
Healthy Vending provides a service that will allow New York City locations to offer their employees and/or patrons the ability to remain on-premises for their nutrition and energy needs.
For more information about healthy snack and beverage options available to the vending industry, contact your New York City vending partner, Healthy Vending, at 917-572-3671 to discuss your customized break room solution.

Uncategorized

Centers for Disease Control Updates Its School Health Index To Help New York City Schools Fight Childhood Obesity

The Center for Disease Control (CDC), partnering with the Alliance iStock_000004501197XSmallfor a Healthier Generation, has updated its School Health Index (SHI). The 2014 SHI guides school-based obesity prevention and health promotion efforts. The SHI is a valuable tool that New York City area schools can use to help reduce childhood obesity in addition to other measures.
Healthy Vending welcomes the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the CDC as partners in its efforts to reduce childhood obesity in New York City area schools. Healthy Vending helps New York City students stay healthy and ready to learn.
The Alliance has replaced its Healthy Schools Program Inventory with the School Health Index (SHI). By offering a unified assessment tool, the CDC and the Alliance make it easier for schools to implement policies and practices that can help students stay healthy and ready to learn. SHI benefits include:
• Less confusion about which evidence-based assessment tool to use.
• Monitoring and alignment of school-based health policies and practices with national surveillance systems.
• Better coordination of training and technical assistance between the CDC and the Alliance.
High school students eating in the school cafeteriaTwo versions of the SHI exist and can be accessed from both the CDC and Alliance’s Healthy Schools Program websites, https://schools.healthiergeneration.org/ and www.cdc.gov/healthyyou.
The SHI Self-Assessment & Planning Guide 2014 is an online self-assessment and planning tool that schools can use to improve their health and safety policies and programs. It’s easy to use and completely confidential.
The SHI was developed by CDC in partnership with school administrators and staff, school health experts, parents, and national non-governmental health and education agencies to:
• Enable schools to identify strengths and weaknesses of health and safety policies and programs.
• Enable schools to develop an action plan for improving student health, which can be incorporated into the School Improvement Plan.
• Engage teachers, parents, students, and the community in promoting health-enhancing behaviors and better health.
The SHI is based on CDC’s research-based guidelines for school health programs, which identify the policies and practices most likely to be effective in reducing youth health risk behaviors.
The SHI 2014 features:
• Updated nutrition content to align with new USDA regulations, iStock_000016672920XSmallincluding Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards.
• Revised physical education content to align with updated national standards and advancements in physical activity programming.
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program has adopted CDC’s SHI assessment tool to help schools assess their current policies and practices as well as track progress over time.
For more information about healthy snack and beverage options available to schools, contact your New York City vending partner, Healthy Vending, at 917-572-3671.

Uncategorized

Offering Bottled Water In Your New York City Break Room

The findings of a November 2014 survey, conducted for the iStock_000015884027MediumInternational Bottled Water Association suggest that the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) was not far off the mark when they announced that bottled water is on course to become the number one packaged beverage in America by 2016.
Some of the surveys key findings included that:
• 96% of Americans (based on the 2,000 U.S. adults surveyed) believed we should drink more water
• 95% think that bottled water is a healthier alternative to soft drinks
• 92% believe that bottled water should be available wherever other beverages are sold
• 55% listed bottled water as being among their preferred beverages
• 91% listed health considerations (like calorie intake) as at least somewhat important when deciding on a beverage to consume
These numbers although interesting are not as important as these:
• 70% of your body is composed of water and every function, including brain activity is dependent on it
54ea7fe1bc68a_-_h-wd0409-smart-water-3• Your brain is about 85% water
• The average person in the U.S drinks less than 32oz of water a day, even though, according to the Mayo Clinic the average adult loses 80oz of water a day through sweating, breathing and eliminating waste
• Water gives the brain the electrical energy for all brain functions, including thought and memory processes.
• Water gives the brain the electrical energy for all brain functions, including thought and memory processes. When your brain is functioning on a full reserve of water, you will be able to think faster, be more focused and experience greater clarity and creativity.
So what do all of these numbers mean for your workplace? They mean that your employees are craving healthier drinking options, especially filtered water, and if you make them readily available to them you are not only going to have happier employees but better hydrated more productive employees.
Call Healthy Vending New York today at 917.572.3671 to discuss your customized break room solution. And when you need bottled water, for meetings at your New York City location, for guests or for company outings, keep in mind one other trend: consumers prefer to purchase bottled water in cost-saving volume. Purchase it from us at a very competitive price and save yourself the heavy lifting.