Why does it take the government so long to make laws to protect 
public health after scientific evidence confirms that certain types of food need to be regulated? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided in June that artificial trans fat will have to disappear from the American diet. The department has given food manufacturers three years to remove the partially hydrogenated oils, or PHOs, from their products.
Healthy Vending applauds the government’s action. But the fact that it has taken the FDA so long to issue the removal of trans fats is concerning for New York consumers. It demonstrates the need for New York consumers to stay informed about food health issues.
Healthy Vending was established in 2000 on account of the high levels of fat used in many snacks. Trans fats in particular have concerned health experts who have advocated government action.
In response to these concerns, the government required food manufacturers to list trans fat content on labels in 2006.
In 2013, the FDA made a tentative determination that trans fats were no longer safe .
Clearly, it has taken a long time for the FDA to require manufacturers to remove trans fats.
“The FDA’s actions to ultimately remove artificial trans fat from the diets of all Americans is a tremendous step forward in the fight against heart disease,” says Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. “Eating a healthy diet is a critical element of prevention, and prevention is the key to conquering heart disease – our nation’s No. 1 killer. Taking artificial trans fat out of foods will help Americans achieve this goal and build lives free of heart disease.”
But the FDA’s recent action is only one step in protecting New York consumers’ health in relation to trans fat. As Healthy Vending is well aware, food labels do not communicate everything a consumer needs to know about trans fats.
New York consumers who check food labels for trans fats may not realize that even though the label reads, “Trans fats 0 grams per serving,” that does not necessarily mean zero, according to Ronda Elsenbrook, R.D., L.D., a registered dietitian in the Nutritional Services department at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in Houston, Texas. Elsenbrook recently told CNN that manufacturers that produce foods containing less than 0.5 grams of trans fats can round that number down to zero. So, you might actually be getting 0.4 grams of trans fats per serving, even though the label reads 0 grams.
When we launched Healthy Vending in the greater New York City 
area in 2000, we understood that consumers want healthier snacks and beverages. There was plenty of research to prove this. Lots of school districts in and around New York City were enacting healthy food and beverage rules.
For more information about healthy snack and beverage options available to schools and your local business, contact your New York City vending partner, Healthy Vending, at 917-572-3671.
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 
for 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.
Two 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, 
including 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.
Nielsen Survey Quantifies Growing Demand For Healthy Snacks; Right On The Money In New York City
When we launched Healthy Vending in the greater New York City 
area in 2000, we understood that consumers want healthier snacks and beverages. There was plenty of research to prove this. Lots of school districts in and around New York City were enacting healthy food and beverage rules.
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.
The Nielsen Global Survey of Snacking polled more than 30,000 consumers in 60 countries in 2014 and found that consumers everywhere are shifting their habits to healthy snacking. This survey is one of many we have seen that confirms the big demand for healthy snacks.
Global demand means a lot in New York City, since it is a very global community.
This survey also quantifies another important fact about snacking today; snacking habits are changing. Snacking is becoming a form of meal replacement as consumers’ work schedules are less structured. Hence, consumers who want to follow a healthy lifestyle want their snacks to be healthy because the snacks are now a more important part of their daily lifestyles.
Healthy Vending provides a service that will allow New York City locations to allow their employees and/or patrons to remain on-premises for their nutrition and energy needs. Hence, employees and partrons value the location as an employer and/or business provider.
Here are some highlights of the recent Nielsen Global Survey of
Snacking Survey:
• Snacks with all natural ingredients are rated as very important by 45% of respondents and moderately important by 32%; natural ingredients were the highest of 20 health attributes queried. Following this came the absence of artificial colors (44%), absence of GMOs (43%) and absence of artificial flavors (42%).
• One third of respondents want snacks low in sugar (34%), salt (34%), and calories (30%).
• Environmentally-conscious consumers think it important that snacks be sourced sustainably (35%), organic (34%) and use local herbs (25%).
• Nutrition is the leading reason why respondents snack (63%), followed by getting an energy boost (61%).
• One-fourth of those surveyed want snacks that have either low or no carbohydrates.
• About one-third are looking for beneficial ingredients, rating fiber (37%), protein (31%) and whole grains (29%) as very important attributes in the snacks they eat.
• Environmentally-conscious consumers believe it is very important that snacks include ingredients that are sourced sustainably (35%), are organic (34%) and use local herbs (25%).
• While snacks are still consumed to satisfy hunger between meals, 45% consume snacks as a meal alternative—52% for breakfast, 43% for lunch and 40% for dinner.
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.
Offering Bottled Water In Your New York City Break Room
The findings of a November 2014 survey, conducted for the 
International 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
• 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.
New York Vending Providers Embracing Healthy Products in Newer and Better Ways
Common negative stigmas are associated with vending machines. 
Can’t think of any? We’re sure you can but just in case you can’t here are a few:
• They steal your money or don’t take your money
• Product gets stuck
• They only offer junk food
To combat these negative images the vending industry has:
• Embraced cashless technology
• Installed SureVend technology – using infrareds to detect whether or not a product has vended, ensuring your employees either get their product or their money back
• Added healthy beverages and snack options to our product lines.
Perhaps the greatest advances have been in regards to point #3. 
Fitnessmagazine.com listed 10 healthy vending machine snacks that were low fat or fat free including: baked chips, kale chips, pretzels, dried fruit, Cliff bars and even some gluten free cookies.
Although the acknowledgement that it’s possible to find healthy snacks in vending machines is appreciated, this list fails to do justice to the vast variety of healthy alternative options available in vending today.
If we were to make our own list it would include some of the following products:
• Gluten free items
• Organic items
• Vegan items
• Beef jerky
• Be Kind bars
• Go Picnics
• Trail mixes
• PopChips
• Coconut water
• Sparkling water
• Fresh fruit
This list could continue for quite a bit longer but to save your scroll finger let’s just say this: healthy and vending are no longer antonyms but synonyms. Vending machines have progressed with the times and so have the products they offer.
For more information on healthy snack and beverage options available to the vending industry contact your New York City vending provider, HealthyVendingNY.com at 917.572.3671 today!
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