Health experts have long noted that breakfast is the most important meal 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.
“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.