Everyone knows that drinking more water in New York City and less soda or sugar-sweetened beverages is a good idea for supporting a healthy lifestyle, but now a recent study published in the peer-reviewed journal, Nutrients, tells us just how beneficial this swap may be when trying to improve your health.

Partially funded by the Drinking Water Research Foundation and authored by researchers from both the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and Virginia Tech, this is the first study to use national nutrition surveillance data to report adult beverage intake patterns and predict calorie savings, weight loss benefits and other potential health advantages associated with drinking water instead of sweetened beverages. The study utilized dietary and health data from more than 19,000 adults from National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys conducted between 2008 and 2012.

From this data, researchers were able to determine beverage intake patterns, compare beverage choices to current public health recommendations and identify positive results from drinking more water and less sweetened beverages. The following are some high points from the study:

• 18 percent of adult calories come from beverages. Current public health recommendations suggest this be less than 15 percent.
• More than 40 percent of adults reported drinking at least one sugar-sweetened beverage per day. This exceeds public health nutrition guidelines for those trying to improve weight management and reduce the risk for chronic diseases, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
• Reducing calorie intake to the recommended 15 percent maximum would cut 3.9 billion calories per day from adults’ diets in the U.S. The predicted weight loss from such a move could mean 1.6 million fewer adults classified as “overweight.”
• Though Americans are drinking less soda, data still shows that calories from beverages is still exceeding public health recommendations.

From these findings, recommendations were made regarding limiting added sugars to less than 10 percent of total calories. Also, it is advised that the more one can replace added sugar beverages with one with no sugar added, like water, the better for overall wellness. Though these conclusions aren’t surprising, the results of compliance are powerful.

“Swapping water for eight ounces of sweetened beverages every day could save people roughly 100 calories,” said Kiyah Duffey, PhD, Virgina Tech and co-author of the study. “If those calories are not replaced by other foods or beverages, that is a meaningful reduction in daily energy intake.”

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Most Americans know the benefits of eating healthy, even if it’s just losing some weight. In addition, many Americans want to eat healthier, but lack the motivation. In fact, according to Mintel, the top reason for not eating healthy is lack of availability. The other reasons for eating badly includes cost, confusion, time, and taste. However, one of the easiest ways to offer healthy food is in your New York City office. In fact, 73% of consumers are willing to pay more for snacks with high quality ingredients. Additionally, 50% of consumers said they would buy more from specialty snack shops if healthier snacks were offered.

In today’s quick, instantaneous gratification for nearly everything, it’s no surprise people reach for whatever is convenient. In fact, 80% of Americans believes being healthy requires sacrifices, while 64% of consumers agree that snacking is necessary to get through the day. Essentially, consumers need snacks, but don’t want to sacrifice time, money, taste, or other reasons to fulfill their cravings. Lauren Bonetto of Mintel, a Lifestyles & Leisure Analyst at Mintel, said Americans believe “living a modern lifestyle impedes their ability to be healthy.”

Millennials, in particular, would be motivated by healthy snack options. Many dine at snack shops to treat themselves (60%) and as a way to gain an energy boost (38%). In addition, 71% of millennials say snacks are best eaten on the go. According to Diana Kelter, a Foodservice Analyst at Mintel, millennials are “America’s primary snacking generation.” As a result, snack shops acts as a great destination for quick treats in their fast-paced lives. They are also very conscious of the way they spend their money, according to a study by T. Rowe Price. For those over 18 years old, 75% of millennials track their expenses carefully and diligently, while 67% save “by any means necessary.” This means their monetary choices are made consciously.

Everyone benefits in healthier food choices. Healthier food intake leads to less half days, due to doctor appointments. The benefits for healthy eating does wonders for the body and brain and actually saves consumers money. In fact, adding produce and lean meat adds $1.50 a day to food costs, but you save $2.71 for every dollar spent by preventing health problems. For this reason alone, loyalty programs would be a worthy endeavor. If millennials decide to spend their money, it needs to be worthwhile in their eyes.

If the product is convenient, wallet-friendly, clearly beneficial, timely, and tasty, what’s not to like? If food is available in your New York City office, healthy, and inexpensive, it would solve many reasons Americans don’t eat healthy. Finding a way to incorporate savvy spenders in a generation of happy hour attenders could be the best decision for businesses and consumers alike.

If you are looking for healthy options for your New York City breakroom, call  Healthy Vending NY at 917.572.3671  for a free, no obligation consultation, where we can help you with your breakroom needs.