Elisabeth Wrede, Author at SunDun Vending Blog

Look Out for New Technology in Baltimore, MD

February 4, 2019June 30, 2018 by Elisabeth Wrede

Have you ever thought about which technology you might see in the future in your Baltimore, MD office break room? Many of those new technologies are likely to first be found in quick service restaurants and grocery stores. They include interactive kiosks, robotsas (a cross between a robot and a baristas), and unattended retail technology or vending machines that sell unique products. The following is a list of technology that is either in use today or will be soon.

Coffee Robot: It’s exactly what it sounds like. The unattended coffee distribution system or robot barista makes a variety of customizable beverages. Customers order their favorite caffeinated beverages from a smartphone app or a nearby tablet, and pick up their beverage from the robot. If you’re lucky enough to be in Austin, TX or San Francisco, CA, then you can try one for yourself.

Robotic Kitchen Restaurant: A new restaurant has recently opened in Boston, MA that is unlike any other. Customers use a touch screen to choose an entree on the menu, add additional ingredients, and remove unwanted ones. The robot then gathers the ingredients, cooks them in a hot pan, and passes the cooked food on to a human who adds some garnish and labels the bowl—all in under three minutes.

Pizza Robot: This one is also exactly what it sounds like although there are currently several different types across the country. Whether the robot assists restaurant employees with making the pizza or is part of cooking the pizza and bringing it to you, it’s all about creating a delicious pizza pie as quickly as possible.

Robotic Burger Flipper: Still one of a kind, this robot in California can flip burgers twice as fast as a human. The robot continues to learn by using feedback loops from its co-workers as well as from its own mistakes. But, there are still a few kinks to work out as this robot works too fast for its human counterparts.

Ice Cream Self-Serve Robot: It’s an ice cream/frozen yogurt shop that makes customizable treats in a vending machine with a robotic arm. While it’s not available yet, it will soon be easier to enjoy a sweet treat especially when grocery shopping.

Unique robots aren’t the only innovative technology that might appear in a break room. Many Baltimore, MD break rooms already use cutting-edge technology such as ENERGY STARⓇ certified vending machines, LED lighting, wireless technology, and mobile payment systems. What’s in your Baltimore, MD break room?

Whether you’d like to update or make a few changes, SunDun Office Refreshments can help. We can also help customize the right mix of healthy snacks and beverages to fit your Baltimore, MD employees’ needs. Call us at 800.466.2731 for more information. We look forward to hearing from you.

Fairfax, VA, Enjoy a Healthy Snack Today

February 4, 2019June 15, 2018 by Elisabeth Wrede

It may be summer outside, but don’t forget to include a bit of dark chocolate in your healthy snack. The key is to use dark chocolate made with a high-cocoa content, low unhealthy-fats, and very little sugar. A few different ways to enjoy a dark chocolate snack in the summer include: dark chocolate ice cubes, fruit dipped in dark chocolate, homemade dark chocolate ice cream, and dark chocolate pudding or mousse in addition to the traditional bar of dark chocolate.

Why dark chocolate? Because dark chocolate contains antioxidants, caffeine, endorphins, and serotonin which offer many health benefits. According to research presented at the Experimental Biology 2018 annual meeting, “consuming dark chocolate that has a high concentration of cacao (minimally 70% cacao, 30% organic cane sugar) has positive effects on stress levels, inflammation, mood, memory and immunity” as well as cognition.

Let’s take a look at how caffeine, endorphins, serotonin, and antioxidants play a role.

Caffeine

As many Fairfax, VA employees know, caffeine can provide an energy boost when one is feeling tired. But caffeine does more than just decrease fatigue. Caffeine offers a short-term mental boost, improves memory, and even helps decrease pain sensitivity in some individuals with chronic pain.

Endorphins & Serotonin

While endorphins are a group of hormones secreted within the brain and nervous system, and serotonin is a chemical and neurotransmitter, both have a similar effect. They can both improve a Fairfax, VA employee’s mood. Endorphins create feelings of pleasure, and serotonin elevates one’s mood.

Antioxidants

Understanding the impact of antioxidants is a bit more complicated. There are many different types of antioxidants. Several of the ones that come into play with dark chocolate include flavonoids (flavanols, flavonols (source of the antioxidant qualities), epicatechin and procyanidins) and polyphenols. Flavonoids, a type of antioxidant, improve cognitive function, help absorb UV light, increase blood flow to the skin, improve skin texture, increase skin hydration, fight inflammation and oxidative stress—improving blood flow, improve cardiovascular health, reduce insulin resistance, and decrease cravings for sweet, salty, and fatty foods. Those are a lot of benefits!

The benefits from antioxidants are often seen in Fairfax, VA individuals when three to four ounces of dark chocolate made with 70 percent to 80 percent cocoa are enjoyed each day. Don’t forget to avoid dark chocolate made using processing methods such as fermenting, alkalizing, and roasting as they cause important flavonoids to be lost.

Can your Fairfax, VA employees find a healthy dark chocolate snack in their office break room? Offering healthy vending machine options is one way that your organization can support your employees’ health. For more information about adding vending services to your place of business, contact SunDun Office Refreshments at 800.466.2731. We look forward to working with you.

Alexandria, VA, Do You Know What the Secret Ingredient in Coffee Is?

February 4, 2019May 31, 2018 by Elisabeth Wrede

Making great coffee while protecting the brewing equipment requires Alexandria, VA employees to constantly perform a balancing act. They must choose the best type of water to find the sweet spot between preventing damage to the brewing equipment and brewing the perfect cup of coffee.

Why is the type of water so important? A cup of coffee consists of 98 percent water. That means that the beans only represents two percent of the beverage. The quality or type of water can range anywhere from “hard” (full of minerals like magnesium) to “soft” (distilled water falls into this category).

To understand the impact of hard and soft water on brewing equipment, consider the following:

many maintenance issues are caused by water because the water comes into contact with almost every part of the machine
for example, some compounds found in hard water are sticky and seek out specific compounds in the coffee grounds impeding the brewing process
the more minerals the water contains (or the harder the water), the more damaging the water can be to the brewing equipment
minerals cause scale buildup (or coat) the inner workings (pumps, boilers, and valves) of the brewing machine, causing corrosion, leaks, and ultimately, the destruction of the machine.

If too many minerals in hard water damage the brewing system, why not use soft or distilled water? The answer to this question is why balancing the water selection is so important. The right balance of minerals in the water improves the taste of an Alexandria, VA cup of coffee.

To understand how hard and soft water changes the taste, consider the following:

minerals found in water carry coffee’s body and aroma to the palate
a high mineral content contributes to a decrease in the quality
- too much alkalinity in the water can cause a soapy taste or residue in the brewed coffee
- water that is too hard can give a bitter or chalky taste
- very little mineral content is also a problem at it causes strange extractions and off-flavors
soft water can create a bland cup of coffee

If Alexandria, VA individuals are interested in monitoring the water that goes into their coffee, the following table from the Specialty Coffee Association’s “Water for Brewing Standards“ lists the acceptable characteristics for the best brewing water.

Characteristic	Target	Acceptable Range
Odor 1	Clean/Fresh, Odor free	n/a
Color 2	Clear color	n/a
Total Chlorine	0 mg/L	n/a
TDS 3	150 mg/L	75 – 250 mg/L
Calcium Hardness	4 grains or 68 mg/L	1-5 grains or 17 mg/L – 85 mg/L
Total Alkalinity	40 mg/L	At or near 40 mg/L
pH	7.0 (neutral)	6.5 – 7.5
Sodium	10 mg/L	At or near 10 mg/L

However, not everyone has the time or desire to check the mineral content and quality of their water. When that’s the case, there are several options to explore. The first is to reconsider your source for coffee beans. A local roaster will likely test their beans with local water increasing the likelihood that your Alexandria, VA employees will brew great tasting coffee. On the other hand, nationally recognized brands often use pure water, which can be found almost everywhere, to test their beans as they strive to create a consistent flavor nationwide. A second option is to use water that tastes good on its own. If water tastes and smells good and is clean straight from the tap, the end result will likely be tasty.

As a side note—avoid pure distilled or reverse osmosis water. While they are often recommended, they are too pure to brew coffee and will leave a lot of flavor behind. A better option is to consider installing a water filtration system in your office break room. Employees can relax knowing they don’t have to worry about the water quality, and Alexandria, VA employers will know the chemical makeup of the water running through their coffee brewers.

Whether your Alexandria, VA organization is looking for a new office coffee service or just wants to update the office break room, SunDun Office Refreshments can help. We offer a wide variety of customizable vending solutions including healthy vending. To take the first step, call us at 800.466.2731. We look forward to hearing from you.

Snacks in Arlington, VA Play Multiple Roles

February 4, 2019May 15, 2018 by Elisabeth Wrede

The definition of a snack is expanding. It no longer refers only to a small amount of sweet or salty food eaten between meals. A snack can also be a healthy meal replacement that helps Arlington, VA employees meet their daily caloric and hydration needs. All snacks, independent of their role, fall into one or more of three primary needs: nourishment, optimization, and pleasure.

Accurate and clearly written product labels play an important part before snacks and beverages are even consumed. For 39 percent of U.S. consumers, inaccurate or confusing information on a product label will trigger a switch to a product that has clearer and more accurate product information. Additionally, 68 percent of the participants in a Nielson study said they would pay more for snacks, beverages, and prepared food items that weren’t made with “bad” ingredients. Fresh, organic, clean, and Fair Trade are just a few of the terms Arlington, VA employees are looking for in the office break room.

Sweet or Salty Treat

I have some good news for you. Traditional sweet and salty snacks are not going anywhere. In 2017, the sale of chocolate-based treats produced over $1.8 billion in revenue, or 74.9 percent of the total sales for candy. On the salty side of the aisle, $2.9 billion in revenue came from the sale of chips. That’s 46.6 percent of sales in its category. Clean, organic, and “better” ingredients play an influence here too. While sweet and salty snacks are most often consumed as a reward or indulgence, many Arlington, VA employees also use a trip to the office break room vending machine as an opportunity to enjoy new flavors and textures.

Certain snacks have always and will continue to play the role of a sweet or salty treat, but in 2018, many snacks have a new purpose.

Healthy Meal Replacement

According to the NPD Group’s tracking of U.S. consumers’ snacking attitudes and behaviors, “snack foods eaten at main meals now represent 24 percent of all snack food eatings, which is up from 21 percent five years ago.” Not only are Arlington, VA employees looking for nourishment and optimization (a mental or physical energy boost), they have high expectations about the quality of product labels and the ingredients that they put in their bodies. A snack with healthy ingredients that fulfills nutritional needs, keeps an employee hydrated, and improves mental focus positively impacts that individual’s health as well as increases creativity and productivity. It’s a win-win for everyone.

A vending machine in your office break room offers your Arlington, VA employees a wide range of healthy, sweet and salty snacks, and beverages that can be enjoyed at any time of the day. Not only is the office break room a place to grab a bite to eat, but it is also a relaxing environment to catch up with colleagues during the workday. To learn more about updating your vending selections or adding a new vending solution, contact SunDun Office Refreshments at 800.466.2731.

Consider Updating Your McLean, VA Break Room

February 4, 2019April 30, 2018 by Elisabeth Wrede

The workplace including the office break room is changing. After the pendulum swung from everyone working at the office to a dramatic jump in remote employees, the pendulum is settling somewhere in the middle. McLean, VA companies are bringing their employees back to the office in hopes of fostering face-to-face collaboration, inspiring innovation, and increasing productivity. And thankfully, it isn’t back into cubeville or the dark, sparsely-decorated break room hidden somewhere at the back of the building. Companies are redesigning their environments to be open, communal areas with spaces designed to promote spontaneous work-related conversations and increase morale.

One area that is no longer left as an afterthought is the office break room. To learn more about what your McLean, VA employees need and want, try surveying them. They know what they want. A recent Staples survey found that “83 percent of employees say that a well-stocked break room results in happier employees, while 53 percent say that a well-stocked break room results in more productive employees.”

Break Room Options in McLean, VA

In 2018, there are a wide variety of options available including cafe-style coffee service and vending machines.

Vending Machines

Provide brand name snacks and beverages including traditional, healthy, organic, and sustainable options
Include easy payment methods such as cash, credit/debit and mobile
Built with environmentally-friendly technologies to decrease the carbon footprint

Cafe-Style Coffee Service

Creates a gourmet coffee-house experience without leaving the office
Includes a variety of teas and specially sourced coffee beans and locally roasted coffees creating a unique coffee experience
Uses different brewing systems including single-cup brewers, traditional brewers, and commercial brewers

Which options will your employees prefer? Think of SunDun Office Refreshments as a partner that can help with your McLean, VA vending needs through the services that we offer. To learn more about vending machine options or cafe-style coffee service, contact us at 800.466.2731. We look forward to collaborating with you.

Bottled Water in Washington D.C. Break Rooms

Washington D.C. Consumers Prefer Bottled Water

February 4, 2019April 15, 2018 by Elisabeth Wrede

For the first time in history, bottled water is the No.1 packaged beverage in the United States (by volume). People are shifting away from less healthy packaged drinks and choosing the healthy option—bottled water.

– Jill Culora, International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), Vice President of Communications

According to a recent study by the IBWA, more than 63 percent of Americans choose bottled water as their beverage of choice. And 94 percent of Americans believe that bottled water is healthier than soft drinks. But what exactly does the phrase ‘bottled water’ mean? The definition is more complex than it might initially seem.

Per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), bottled water is a consumer food product; which means that strict standards of identity must be followed in order to legally call a bottle filled with water ‘bottled water’. The FDA requires that the “type” of water must be clearly printed on the label of all bottled water sold in the United States. To understand the FDA’s classifications, it is important to know the following terms.

Spring Water: “Derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface, this water must be collected only at the spring or through a borehole that taps the underground formation feeding the spring. If some external force is used to collect the water through a borehole, the water must have the same composition and quality as the water that naturally flows to the surface.”

Purified Water: “Bottled water that has been treated by distillation, reverse osmosis, or another suitable process may meet standards that allow it to be labeled as “purified water.””

Mineral Water: “This water comes from an underground source and contains at least 250 parts per million total dissolved solids. Minerals and trace elements must come from the source of the underground water. They cannot be added later.”

Artesian Water/Artesian Well Water: “This water is collected from a well that taps an aquifer—layers of porous rock, sand, and earth that contain water—which is under pressure from surrounding upper layers of rock or clay. When tapped, the pressure in the aquifer, commonly called artesian pressure, pushes the water above the level of the aquifer, sometimes to the surface. Other means may be used to help bring the water to the surface.”

Well Water: “This is water from a hole bored or drilled into the ground, which taps into an aquifer.”

Understanding the different water sources and methods of extraction will help Washington D.C. employees answer questions about the taste, quality, and safety of a specific type of water. This is especially important as 82 percent of Americans think they should drink more water and 90 percent believe that bottled water is a healthy and convenient beverage.

To help your Washington D.C. employees stay hydrated and healthy, make sure to include bottled water in your office break room vending machine. Try offering healthy snacks with healthy beverages at a reduced cost. It not only keeps everyone hydrated and satiated, but it’s also a great moral booster. For more information about adding healthy vending machines to your Washington D.C. break room, call SunDun Office Refreshments at 800.466.2731.

Breakroom Snack Options in Rockville, MD

Rockville, MD, What Is Your Favorite Breakroom Snack?

February 4, 2019March 30, 2018 by Elisabeth Wrede

Breakroom Snack Options in Rockville, MD

Everyone has that one favorite “not-so-healthy” snack that they enjoy every now and then. While we’ve all heard that moderation is key, deciding whether to go healthy or not can be quite the dilemma. Often Rockville, MD consumers want to eat healthy, but at the same time, they want to enjoy their favorite sweet or salty guilty pleasure.

Many of Rockville, MD’s favorite sweet and salty snacks have been around for more than 30 years and include:

Confections (chocolate, candy, etc.): PEZ (1950), Swedish Fish (late 1950s), Nerds (1983), anything made with chocolate
Salty: sunflower seeds, Cheese Balls (1980s), Combos (mid 1970s), Goldfish, Doritos (1974), Pringles (1975), chips, crackers
Cookies and Snack Cakes: Famous Amos cookies (1975), animal crackers (1902), rice krispies treats, Oatmeal Cream Pies (1960), Oreos, Pop-tarts (1964)
Other snacks: Dippin’ Dots (1987), Fruit Roll-ups (1991) or fruit snacks, granola bars, Milk ‘n’ Cereal Bars or breakfast bars (1990s – early 2000s)

If Rockville, MD employees are looking, however, for something that’s a little healthier, there are a lot of healthy sweet and salty options available too. Healthier snack options include fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, popcorn, squeezable yogurt tubes, yogurt smoothies, pre-packaged organic meal kits, salsa, and hummus. Many of these healthy snacks can also be combined to create a healthy mini-meal when there isn’t enough time for a sit down meal.

Breakroom Snack Options in Rockville, MD Whether your Rockville, MD employees are craving something healthy or “not-so-healthy,” many of these snacks can be found all day in the office breakroom vending machine. Providing an easily accessible, onsite location where all types of snacks and beverages including office coffee service are available is just one benefit that lets your employees know they are valuable. Another benefit is to offer everything at a reduced or zero cost. Not only will employees welcome onsite snack and beverage options, but they will also appreciate the cash left in their pocket.

Don’t forget to offer refreshing beverages along with both healthy and not-so-healthy snacks. It’s important to keep your employees hydrated as well as satiated. To learn more about the many different types of breakroom snack and beverage options in Rockville, MD, call SunDun Office Refreshments at 800.466.2731.

Healthy Vending Machine Options in Columbia, MD

Quick and Healthy Snacks in Your Columbia, MD Vending Machine

February 4, 2019March 15, 2018 by Elisabeth Wrede

Healthy Vending Machine Options in Columbia, MD

Are you looking for something to eat that is quick and healthy, and can be found in your Columbia, MD break room vending machine? Whether it’s a quick breakfast, fuel for a lunchtime workout, an afternoon snack, or a sweet treat, a KIND® bar can meet each one of those needs. Each bar is made from nutritionally-dense ingredients and contains no secret ingredients, artificial flavors, preservative or sweeteners. You’ll find nuts, real fruit, chocolate, spicy and savory flavors, and five super grains including oats, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, and quinoa.

And soon, you’ll be able to enjoy your favorite KIND® bar with others when you travel around the globe. In a new partnership with Mars, Incorporated, KIND will be able to expand their product offerings and business into international markets while continuing to make healthy and tasty foods available and create a kinder world through meaningful social impact initiatives.

Daniel Lubetzky, Founder and CEO of KIND, explained it best when he said, “we’re looking forward to continuing on this journey as we empower more people to make healthy eating decisions across the globe. We remain fully committed to our guiding principles, including our commitment to always use a nutritious food as the first and predominant ingredient in every food product.”

Whether enjoying a vending machine snack in Columbia, MD or around the world, it’s nice to know that KIND will continue to fulfill its KIND Promise. Employees can continue to count on

snacks made from real food, wholesome ingredients, and sound nutrition;
nuts, whole grains, or fruit as the first and predominant ingredient;
everyone and everything being treated with integrity and kindness;
transparency about everything from ingredients to labeling;
low amounts of added sugar and no artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols;
and tasty and healthy snacks.

An additional way to offer encouragement and support to your Columbia, MD employees in their quest to be healthy, is to provide a wide range of healthy snacks and beverages in the office break room vending machine. Fresh fruit, unsweetened tea, or bottled water are all great accompaniments to a KIND® bar. Help your employees a bit more by offering those snacks and beverages at a reduced cost or for free. That’s a win for everyone.

To learn more about adding healthy vending machine options to your office break room, call SunDun Office Refreshments at 800.466.2731. We look forward to hearing from you.

Healthy Snacks and Beverages in Gaithersburg, MD

Gaithersburg, MD Snacks and Beverages Go Trendy in 2018

February 4, 2019February 28, 2018 by Elisabeth Wrede

Healthy Snacks and Beverages in Gaithersburg, MD

2018 is predicted to bring new and unusual, but tasty, snacks and beverages to Gaithersburg, MD. According to Denise Purcell, head of content for the Specialty Food Association, “Macro trends like sustainability and health are converging in the 2018 [food] trends.” This combination will create food trends including more plant-based foods, upcycled edible products, and healthy alternative sweeteners.

Plant-Based Foods

Gone are the days when plant-based foods were only found in out of the way health food stores. Today, plant-based options are endless and can be found everywhere from the local grocery store to the office break room vending machine. Gaithersburg, MD consumers are likely to find a wide variety of plant-based options including dairy-free milk products such as cheese or yogurt; frozen desserts such as ice cream or whipped topping; and convenience foods such as crackers, cereals, cookies, bean chips, premade burritos, and protein bars. Below are a few of the plant ingredients found in healthy snacks and beverages that consumers will enjoy more of in 2018.

dairy-free alternatives: almonds, coconuts, cashews, soy, and rice
pulses: beans, lentils, chickpeas, and peas
vegetables: beets, sweet potatoes, kale, tomatoes, and corn
ancient grains: quinoa, spelt, amaranth, kamut, and farro
protein-rich seeds: hemp, chia, and flax

Upcycled Edibles

Forty percent of the food produced in the United States is thrown away each year. That is equivalent to $165 billion of food. Upcycled dishes have already made appearances in home kitchens and restaurants. As Gaithersburg, MD consumers develop a better understanding of this problem, prepackaged upcycled products made from ingredients and scraps that would have otherwise been discarded, will increase in availability. Several snacks and beverages that are already available include

pressed juice made from imperfect fruit
chips made from fruit pulp
snack bars made from spent grain from the beer making process
condiments including chutney and chilis made from ugly produce
hot-on-the-go oatmeal made with the coffee fruit

Alternative Sweeteners

Sugar. Many Gaithersburg, MD consumers have a love-hate relationship with it. It’s tasty, but too much of it can cause health issues. To be able to enjoy something sweet and be mindful of their health, consumers are looking for natural, alternative sweeteners that have a lower glycemic impact, fewer added sugar calories, and a sustainable footprint. The following are a few lesser known fruits that make deliciously sweet syrups and can be found in a variety of snacks and beverages.

dates: the fruit of the date palm tree that becomes a thick molasses-like syrup with a rich, sweet flavor
monk fruit: a fruit native to southern China and northern Thailand that has a flavor similar to traditional sugar
agave: a cactus plant from Mexico and the Southwestern United States that has a flavor similar but milder than honey
lucuma: a Peruvian fruit with a maple-like taste
yacon: a South American tuber that tastes like an apple, but has a maple-like flavor when it is a syrup

Have your Gaithersburg, MD employees started looking for snacks and beverages that are healthier or better for the planet? Whether they want a mix of traditional and healthy choices or just an afternoon coffee pick-me-up, SunDun Office Refreshments can help. Call us at 800.466.2731 for more information about vending machines and a variety of other vending options.

Bottled Water: It’s Healthy for You and Baltimore, MD

February 4, 2019February 15, 2018 by Elisabeth Wrede

Bottled Water in Baltimore, MD

The relationship between the bottled water industry and Baltimore, MD consumers has had its ups and downs. But recent news from the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is good news for everyone. A recent study found that bottled water now has the lowest water footprint of all packaged drinks, using a total of 1.32 liters of water, including the 1 liter of consumable water, to produce a 1-liter bottle product.

Environmental Impact

To decrease the amount of water used, the amount of energy spent, and the amount of plastic materials needed for the production of bottled water, the bottled water industry has developed new and innovative ways to decrease the number of resources spent. According to the IBWA, some of the changes include:

“Auditing total water use at bottled water facilities,
Reducing groundwater extraction through improved water processing and bottling processes,
Looking for leaks in all of their piping and tanks,
Planting drought-resistant vegetation at bottling facilities,
Reminding employees to be good stewards of the environment and encouraging water conservation,
Implementing water use restrictions at their facilities,
Implementing ultra-efficient cleaning methods inside plants to reduce water usage when cleaning reusable 3- and 5-gallon bottles for water coolers used in homes and offices,
Reducing the use of cleaners when sterilizing water pipes, storage tanks, and finished products,
Managing water withdrawals in a manner that ensures the long-term viability of the watershed, [and]
Using hydro-geological evaluations on springs to assess any potential impact on local groundwater levels and stream flows.”

The result is an industry that uses fewer natural resources, creates less waste, and produces one of America’s most purchased packaged drinks. As Jill Culora, IBWA’s vice president of communications, said, “consumers who are drinking bottled water instead of other packaged drinks are making a healthy choice—and also reducing the impact on the environment.”

Health Benefits

Water offers multiple health benefits to those in Baltimore, MD who drink it. According to the Centers for Disease Control, water helps to regulate body temperature, lubricate and cushion joints, and protect the spinal cord. Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, the director of nutrition at WebMD, writes that water keeps our body hydrated which helps all of its systems to function properly, decreases muscle fatigue which can contribute to poor performance, and helps skin to stay hydrated and healthy.

Unfortunately, most of us don’t drink nearly enough water to make up for the water that we lose every day, which can lead to dehydration. Side effects of dehydration include lack of energy and fatigue. To combat dehydration, the Mayo Clinic recommends that men drink about 13 cups or 3 liters of beverages per day, and women drink about 9 cups or 2.2 liters per day. Additionally, researchers at the University of Illinois determined that the more water a person drank, the fewer overall calories that person consumed. For most individuals, a decrease in calories, even by a small amount, can positively impact long-term health.

Do your Baltimore, MD employees enjoy water as a pick-me-up during the day? If so, be sure to include bottled water in the office break room vending machine. For the ultimate employee bonus, consider covering part or all of the cost of healthy vending machine snacks and beverages.

For more information about customizing your current vending machine options, or adding new healthy vending machines to your office break room, contact SunDun Office Refreshments at 800.466.2731.