Does your New York City break room provide health information for consumers looking to follow healthy lifestyles?

Everyone in the refreshment services business, whether they know it or not, is in the public health business. Which means every environment where consumers buy food should have health awareness information that is visible and accessible.

The food industry has made a lot of progress in improving health awareness in recent years. The industry played a big role in embracing the nationwide campaign to fight obesity. The food industry took a responsible position and advised consumers to follow healthy lifestyles. As a result, some progress has recently been reported in reducing obesity.

U.S. adult obesity rates decreased in four states – Minnesota, Montana, New York and Ohio – increased in two (Kansas and Kentucky) – and remained stable in the rest, between 2014 and 2015, according to The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America, a report from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). This marks the first time in the past decade that any states have experienced decreases – aside from a decline in Washington, D.C. in 2010.

In addition, recent national data show that childhood obesity rates have stabilized at 17 percent over the past decade. Rates are declining among 2- to 5-year-olds, stable among 6- to 11-year-olds, and increasing among 12- to 19-year-olds.

Nonetheless, obesity rates are overall too high and industry has to continue to do its part to help consumers live healthy lifestyles.

Health warning labels can steer teens away from sugary drinks, a new study suggests. The intention of these labels is not to eliminate the choice of choosing a sugary drink, but to be aware of the need to always make a sensible choice.

“The average teen in the United States consumes at least one sugar-sweetened beverage every day, which could account for more than twice the recommended daily serving of sugar,” said Christina Roberto, an assistant professor of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

“The rate of sugar consumption in the U.S. is astounding and contributes significantly to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other dangerous and costly health conditions,” she added.

Warning labels about obesity do help teens make good choices.

A recent online survey assessed the hypothetical beverage selections of more than 2,000 youngsters, aged 12 to 18. The drinks had either no label or one of five health warning labels. One label featured calorie content and four carried variations of a written warning that sugary beverages contribute to obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay.

While 77 percent of the participants said they would select a sugary drink if there was no warning label, participants were 8 percent to 16 percent less likely to select a sugary drink that bore such a message, the study found.

Sixty-two percent of the participants said they would support a warning label policy for sugary drinks.

The findings highlight the need for nutrition information at the point of purchase to help people make healthier choices, said study co-author Eric Van Epps, a postdoctoral researcher at the university’s Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics.

Every environment where food and refreshments are purchased should encourage consumers to follow healthy choices. Healthy lifestyles contribute to healthy workers, who are important to the wellness of society and industry.

For more information about healthy snack and beverage options Healthy Vending NY at 917.572.3671 to discuss your customized break room solution.

 

 

Do you wonder why major supermarket chains and national restaurant operators are adopting more “better for you,” natural and organic foods? Because consumers are demanding it.

Earth Balance, a company that produces a line of plant-based foods, surveyed 2,000 consumers recently to find out what they are eating and why. The survey found more people are seeking “better-for-you” foods, especially dairy- and meat-free alternatives.

Anyone who has been paying attention to the news knows the demand for “better for you” food isn’t new. What’s surprising, however, is that the interest keeps on growing in New York City.

When asked what factors are most important to them when shopping for food, respondents cited buying local (37%), organic (33%) and non-GMO (30%). They are also more willing to try new better-for-you-foods.

As the “better for you” market has expanded, it helps to know which types of products consumers are most interested in. This is just as important to employees looking for something to eat in a break room as it is to the homeowner shopping at the supermarket.

The most-tried foods, according to the survey, are healthy snacks, dairy alternatives and oil alternatives.
Dairy alternatives ranked as the leading better-for-you food, cited by 29% of respondents. Superfoods (e.g., chia, acai and quinoa), alternative snacks (e.g., gluten-free crackers, nut butters and Greek yogurt) and alternative oils (e.g., avocado, coconut and sunflower) tied for second place at 28%. Plant-based proteins, such as hemp hearts, lentils and spirulina, ranked third at 18%.

Among better-for-you foods, participants said the ones they consume most often are green tea (33%), dairy alternatives (31%), kale (21%) and quinoa (16%). The ones they consume least often are farro (2%), maca powder (3%), wheat berries (3%) and nutritional yeast (3%).

Whole Foods Market cited “plant-based everything” as a top 2016 trend to watch. Earth Balance’s study bears out this prediction, showing consumers are more accepting of this newer food movement.

Forty-two percent of consumers said they know more about plant-based diets now compared to five years ago. Forty-three percent said they are more likely to try plant-based alternatives today. Thirteen percent reported trying a vegetarian lifestyle.

What’s more, over half said they’ve tried dairy-free alternatives like dairy-free milk, cheese and yogurt. Sixty-three percent said they have tried plant-based protein alternatives, with tofu, meatless burgers and meatless hot dogs topping the list.

Keep in mind that people in New York City want to see these products everywhere they choose to snack or eat a meal, including in the office break room.

Price, cited by 64%, is the main reason consumers hold back from trying a new type of health food. Concern about not liking its taste or texture ranked second. Lack of store availability ranked third. That said, approximately a third are willing to pay an additional $2.00 or more for a better-for-you alternative to a traditional food item.

While Americans are more open to better-for-you foods, they still love to snack. When asked which snacks they find most tempting, respondents ranked chocolate in the top spot (31%), followed by potato chips (16%) and ice cream (14%). Eighty-eight percent of respondents said they eat a snack that they know is not healthy at least once per day.

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.