New Yorkers You Are What you Eat

Are you emotionally engaged…with your food? Recent research by Mid Adult Woman Eating Healthy Breakfastthe Center for Food Integrity and the Harvard Business Review suggest you are.
In the December 15, 2015 issue of Food Business News, Keith Nunes writes an editorial that draws on the research of both of the above organizations. In his article titled, “The Role of ‘Emotional Engagement’ in Food Marketing” Nunes shares that consumers:
1. Want to be able to engage with a brand (think website Q/A, Twitter and Instagram)
2. Are seeking products that make them feel good about themselves and their decisions
3. Connect emotionally with brands when they resonate with their deepest emotional drives, including the desire to feel secure, to stand out from the crowd or be the person they want to be
4. View what they eat as more than substance
How Does This Affect Your Vending and/or Food and Beverage Program?

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As more research becomes available on emotional engagement with food and as consumers continue to become more educated on how the food they eat is produced and where it is grown expect to see your favorite snacks with new labels and in some cases new recipes (think no artificial flavors or colors, gluten free, organic, etc.)
And if it is true that snacks and more than snacks, that snacks are now a way to define ourselves; ask yourself not only what does your personal snacking say about you and your priorities, but what does the food you offer your New York City employees say about your company and your company’s priorities.
In other words, if you are what you eat, what do you want to be? Do you want your New York City company to prioritize cost, health, choice? Do you want to be known for quality, for offering the best, for being the best, for being on top of trends?
If yes to any of the above  we invite you to call us and speak to one of our team members about creating a snack and beverage program that defines you the way you want to be defined. Call Healthy Vending New York today at 917.572.3671 for a free no-obligation consultation of your break room needs.

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.

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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.