Healthy Break Room Choices

Which food and beverage choices did you purchase the last time you needed something to eat or drink? Was it a green tea or maybe a breakfast smoothie? If so, you might be one of the many Alexandria, VA residents who have recently posted online about your experience.

According to a recently released study by CBD Marketing, Millennials, or those between the ages of 18 and 35, have played a key role in changing “long-standing truths” within food and beverage categories. The research analyzed 10.8 million social media posts and other online content specific to food (8.6 million) and beverage (2.2 million) product groups. Frequently used hashtags for foods included #healthy, #organic, #naturalfood, and #healthyfood), while #greentea, #healthy, #coffee, and #tea were seen most frequently for beverages.

Even though Millennials are tech savvy and share their thoughts and buying habits frequently and openly, it would be a mistake to treat all Millennials as one group. Millennials consist of three overlapping subgroups whose differences can greatly impact their preferences. Some are college students or living at home, others are out of college and just entering the workforce, and others are buying homes and starting families.

And don’t forget to consider other Alexandria, VA demographics when monitoring social media insights. For example, women created 62 percent of the content while men created only 38 percent. The study also found that “Millennial men and women use very different descriptors when talking online, so it’s important to use language that reflects your target audience.” The top terms used more frequently and often by women include love, amazing, good, best, favorite, enjoy, and delicious) while men used good, love, great, enjoy. Men also seemed to express negative options more frequently.

CBD Marketing’s Co-CEO Lori Colman said it best when she said that “businesses and brands that mine this treasure trove of online data will be the ones that market their products successfully.” In order to learn about your Alexandria, VA employees’ food and beverage preferences for the office break room consider the following criteria.

Beverage Preferences

• Looking for green tea, kombucha and even traditional hot lemon teas
• Want flavored, sparkling and plain water, “better-for-you” drinks promoting energy, immunity, digestive health
• Enjoy plant-based milks and cold brew

Food Preferences

• Like healthy, natural snacks; support alternative food distribution via meal delivery and meal services
• Buy from environmentally conscious manufacturers and purveyors; want transparency
• Gravitate to cultural flavors and foods like Scandinavian and Indian

How many of these healthy food and beverage choices are available for your employees in the Alexandria, VA office break room? If you’d like to add more options or bring some variety to your current vending machine offerings, SunDun Office Refreshments can help. Contact us at 800.466.2731 to get started.

Vending machine technology is only one of the many aspects of the vending industry that has changed a lot since the first bottled soft drink machines, cooled with ice, appeared on the market in the 1930’s. Which beverages Arlington, VA consumers want to buy have also undergone several makeovers.

Diet sodas, for example, were first mass produced during the 1960’s and enjoyed a seemingly positive reputation until the early 2000’s when sales started to decline. The shift in opinion began as Arlington, VA consumers learned more about diet soda’s ingredients and understood that those ingredients were actually chemicals that were dangerous to their health.

Today, medical professionals have a better understanding about the downsides of consuming diet soda. Keri Glassman, R.D.N., at Women’s Health shares, “It [diet soda] is filled with unhealthy chemicals, including artificial sweeteners, which actually make[s] you crave more calories later” and contributes to weight gain.  

However, diet soda alone doesn’t cause all weight gain. Cara Harbstreet, R.D., of Street Smart Nutrition says, “Consumers of diet soda who engage in other lifestyle behaviors associated with poor health outcomes are at a greater risk than those who balance their intake of diet soda with other healthful habits.The variables make it difficult to pinpoint whether diet soda consumption alone is the cause of negative health outcomes, or whether it’s the culmination of a number of factors…nothing in nutrition or health exists in a vacuum.”

As 2017 comes to a close, it is important to consider other habits that play a role in developing health-related issues such as not exercising, smoking, consuming too many sweets, and diet or regular soda instead of water, and not sleeping enough. The following are a few health issues that can happen as a result of doing either too much of a bad thing or not enough of a good thing.

• not exercising enough: increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure, depressions, osteoporosis, bone fractures, and more sick days
• smoking: higher risk of developing lung cancer, COPD including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, and worsening asthma
• eating and/or drinking too much sugar: greater risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, heart attack, stroke, cavities, depression, joint pain, and an increase in wrinkles and saggy skin
• not getting enough water: causes headaches, dry mouth, eyes, and skin, disorientation, low energy levels, muscle cramps or spasms, hunger, and mood swings
• not getting enough sleep: increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, stroke, obesity, depression, lack of alertness, impaired memory, mood swings, and an increased chance of having a car accident
  

So, as 2018 is quickly approaching, individuals should focus on exercising, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, and consuming healthy vending machine snack and beverage choices. But don’t forget to enjoy a special treat every once in awhile.

To help your Arlington, VA employees make healthy choices during the workday, offer a wide variety of healthy snacks and beverages in the office breakroom vending machine. Not only will it positively impact your employees health, but it will also help maintain high energy levels and increase productivity. That’s a win-win for everyone.

For more information about adding healthy options to your current vending machines or creating the ultimate breakroom in 2018, call SunDun Office Refreshments at 800.466.2731. We’d love to help.

Corporate wellness programs including those that offer healthy vending machine options can have a positive impact on both an employee’s health and on the company’s productivity, but only if the wellness program is implemented carefully.

A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, UCLA, and Washington University in St. Louis found that wellness program participation “improved average worker productivity by over 4 percent” which is roughly equivalent “to adding one additional day of productive work per month for each employee” (Gubler, Larkin, & Pierce,2017, p. 2). Taken one step further, researchers determined that by using diet and exercise, sick and healthy employees increased their productivity by 10 percent.  

There are, however, several important caveats to consider.

• Participation must be voluntary. Researchers found that when participation was required or strongly suggested through social or financial pressure, the participants reacted negatively. Participants perceived the company to be overstepping its bounds and interfering in their health and lifestyle choices.
• Participants must believe in the program’s merits and safety. Highlighting the differences between the reality of the program versus its perceptions will help employees trust that their health data will remain private and will not be used for employment-related purposes.
• Long-term productivity gains are unlikely to be sustainable through single or short-term interventions. Employers must consider multiple or long-term wellness support for employees if increased productivity is to be sustainable.

Wellness programs or interventions in can occur in many different forms from fitness activities to healthy choices in the office break room vending machine. The best choices for your specific organization will likely vary from the organization next door. Ask your McLean, VA employees for their opinions and preferences. To start the conversation, consider a few of the following options.

Fitness

• encourage public transportation, walking or biking—arrange for bike racks and provide “bike to work” promotional materials
• encourage stairwell use by strategically placing posters with information about the physical benefits of using stairs
• offer corporate discounts for health club memberships in the McLean, VA area or offer an on-site fitness facility
• coordinate and market running and walking groups and other monthly and weekly fitness challenges
  

Corporate Culture

• Turn sit-down meetings into walking meetings
• bring in items that will encourage folks to take a break and rejuvenate such as scooters, game rooms, footballs, and hula hoops
• incorporate plants and other greenery around the office
• offer a quiet spot to take a nap

Food Choices

• offer healthy snack and beverage choices via vending machines—don’t forget to include non-dairy milk options for those who are vegan or are dairy intolerant
• offer free or reduced cost refreshments for employees—it’s a great morale booster
• throw a monthly healthy potluck
• coordinate with a community supported agriculture (CSA) for local fruit and vegetable deliveries to the office and/or find local farmers markets in McLean, VA
  

Whether you are looking to offer free vend or add a new vending machine, SunDun Office Refreshments can help. We offer a wide variety of products and services that can help boost your employees’ wellness, morale, and productivity. Call us at 800.466.2731 for more information.  

Reference:

Gubler, T., Larkin, I., and Pierce, L. (2017, June 28). Doing Well by Making Well: The Impact of Corporate Wellness Programs on Employee Productivity. Forthcoming, Management Science. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2811785

The increase in demand for healthy snacks is not only about which ingredients are in a snack; it is also about the ingredients that aren’t there. According to Mintel, a global market research firm, 84 percent of consumers want to reduce the amount of natural sugar and artificial sweetener in their diets. Participants indicated that weight management and future health concerns were the top reasons to cut sugar. In fact, 31 percent of participants agreed that removing sugar from their diet causes more weight loss than cutting out fat. Millennials or 18 to 34 year olds had additional concerns about sugar and its negative impact on dental health and the appearance of their skin.     

Decreasing the amount of sugar consumed has many more positive effects on a Washington D.C. individual’s health than the few previously mentioned. Some additional health benefits of eating less sugar are

• lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol (LDL) levels,
• decrease risk of fatty liver disease, diabetes, and heart attack,
• Lower chances of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia,
• improved cognitive function, memory, and responsiveness,
• increased energy levels.

Avoiding sugar isn’t always as easy as it sounds though. Sugar is frequently hidden in products that aren’t usually associated with sugar. It is also referred to by other names and found in many different forms including molasses, organic cane sugar, fruit juice concentrate, malt sugar, corn syrup, honey, syrup, and words ending in “ose” dextrose, lactose, maltose, fructose, glucose, and sucrose. The following suggestions are a few ways that can help Washington D.C. employees and students choose healthy snacks and reduce sugar consumption:

• check the ingredient list for hidden sugar
• eat as close to natural as possible
• check the nutrition label to see how much sugar is actually in the product
• gradually lower your sugar intake
• eat more protein and healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, avocados, and olives
• drink naturally flavored seltzer water as an alternative to sugary beverages

The increase in demand for snacks and beverages with less sugar has led to new, easy-to-find, healthier choices including kombucha teas and drinking vinegars. Since Washington D.C. employees are looking for a wide variety of flavors and sweetness levels, there are many new opportunities to offer healthy snacks and beverages at all sweetness levels in the office break room.

Consider offering all of your Washington D.C. employees the chance to enjoy a healthy snack or beverage while at work. Whether enjoying a can of flavored carbonated water or a healthy snack from the vending machine, there is an option for everyone. For more information about adding healthy snacks and beverages to your office break room or updating your current vending machine options, call SunDun Office Refreshments at 800.466.2731.

By previous standards, it wouldn’t be considered a meal. It isn’t always consumed at traditional meal times or eaten at a table. But according to those between the ages of 18 and 35 (Millennials), it contributes to their daily nutritional needs and functions as a meal.

What is it?

It is a healthy snack. Millennials are eating a lot of snacks. 92 percent of individuals recently surveyed by Surveygoo said they replace a meal with a snack at least once a week. 50 percent do it four times a week and 26 percent, do it seven times per week. That is a lot of snacking.

Since Millennials are now the largest segment of the population in the U.S. workforce, Baltimore, MD employers need to reexamine their break room snack, beverage, and food options. At the top of the list of preferred ingredients for healthy snacks are whole grains, real fruit pieces, and nuts. These healthy ingredients are not just beneficial for Millennials. They are better for everyone. When researching different healthy snack options for your employees, here are three things to consider:

Nutritional Needs

• Will it stop hunger between meals?
• Will it help me to stay hydrated?
• Will it help me to manage my health and diet?

Refuel or Energy Pick-Me-Up

• Will it give me an energy boost?
• Will it increase my mental focus?
• Will it help decrease stress?

Ingredients

• Whole Grains (oats, brown rice, millet, and quinoa)
• Plant-Based Proteins (legumes, nuts, and seeds)
• Fruits and Vegetables (berries, apple, and sweet potato)
• Low in Sugar

Each of these areas can offer benefits when considered on their own. However, when they are considered as a group, the benefits can reach even further. 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.

Have you considered including healthy snacks in your Baltimore, MD office break room? Whether you are just beginning your office break room journey or would like to update your vending machine selections, we can help you with that.  Contact SunDun Office Refreshments at 800.466.2731 for more information.

It looks like Fairfax, VA employees can add another benefit to the list of reasons why they should enjoy a dark chocolate snack—fewer irregular heartbeats. A recent study performed in Denmark by a group of Danish and American scientists found that participants who consumed two to six servings per week of chocolate made with at least 30 percent cocoa solids had an 11 to 20 percent lower chance of atrial fibrillation (AF) or irregular heartbeats. AF negatively affects over 12 million people in the United States (U.S.) and European Union (EU), and increases the likelihood that a stroke, heart failure, cognitive decline, or dementia will occur.  

Chocolate, as a category, is made from different combinations of cocoa solids, cocoa butter, cocoa bean powder, sugar, and milk powder. Out of all of the ingredients, cocoa is the one that benefits cardiovascular health. In addition to antioxidants, cocoa contains flavonoids which perform a variety of jobs such as helping control insulin sensitivity, improving blood flow, and protecting the skin against UV damage. For chocolate to provide the most benefit, it needs to be made with a higher percentage of cocoa, and avoid processing methods such as fermenting, alkalizing, and roasting that cause important flavonoids to be lost.

Of all of the types of chocolate available in Fairfax, VA, dark chocolate meets those criteria the best. But it is still important to check each bar of chocolate for the percentage of cocoa solids because those can vary. For example, in the EU, milk chocolate must contain a minimum of 30 percent cocoa solids while in the U.S., a minimum of 10 percent is required for the chocolate to be considered milk chocolate. Dark chocolate also has different requirements between the two locations—43 percent cocoa solids in the EU and 35 percent in the U.S. So, how do these percentages play out when it comes to the ingredients of dark, milk, and white chocolate?

Dark chocolate is made from the highest percentage of cocoa solids (the part that contains the flavonoids), cocoa butter, sugar, and cocoa bean powder. A different research study performed by researchers at the University of Copenhagen found that dark chocolate decreased cravings for sweet, salty, and fatty foods. Fewer cravings can help the Fairfax, VA employee stick to their healthy eating plan. Milk chocolate contains a smaller percentage of cocoa solids and cocoa butter than dark chocolate plus milk powder and more sugar. The milk powder and decreased amount of cocoa creates a smoother and sweeter chocolate than dark chocolate, but it also has fewer flavonoids. White chocolate is made from sugar, milk, and the smallest quantity of cocoa butter, so it doesn’t include any flavonoids.

Enjoying a small amount of dark chocolate with a cup of coffee in the afternoon not only provides health benefits, but it also creates a moment of relaxation and a caffeine boost for Fairfax, VA employees. That is a benefit for everyone. A convenient location to offer dark chocolate is in a office break room vending machine. To learn more about vending machine snack (including chocolate) and beverage options contact SunDun Office Refreshments at 800.466.2731.

Choices. Whether it’s a conscious decision or not, everyone is faced with multiple choices every day. A University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) graduate student helped her fellow classmates and professors by making the choice to snack healthy easier. As part of her thesis, she set out to learn if students and faculty would purchase healthy vending machine options. After taste testing one of the three snacks—licorice, chocolate chip cookies, or chili cheese flavored pop chips—each tester was asked if they would buy the item if it were available in one of the university’s vending machines. The positive outcome led UNK to replace some of the previous vending choices with healthier options.

Regardless of an individual’s age, eating healthy is important. Not only does a healthy diet impact physical health, but it also affects a Rockville, MD individual’s ability to be productive and produce quality work. Easy access to healthy snacks at work makes choosing healthy snacks easier. Unfortunately, access to healthy snacks at work isn’t always simple. To change that, it is important to involve everyone in the process including coworkers and bosses when deciding how to increase the amount and types of nutritious snacks and beverages available.

For example, break room decision makers should understand that Rockville, MD consumers consider the following when choosing a snack:  

• quality and type of ingredients
• origin of ingredients
• how a brand contributes to society
• types of flavors and experiences

Popular snacks that fall into at least one of the above categories include beef jerky, popcorn, greek yogurt, roasted seaweed, string cheese, bean chips, vegetable chips, fruit or vegetable crisps, and nuts. And don’t forget to offer individually packaged snacks. It helps snackers with portion control.   

But will offering more healthy choices really have a positive impact? According to recent research in the British Journal of Health Psychology, the answer is yes. As part of the study, participants recorded their food consumption, mood, and behaviors during a 13-day period. Researchers examined how food choices impacted daily experiences and found that the more fruits and vegetables participants consumed, the happier, more engaged, and more creative the participants tended to be. Additionally, a separate review of 30 publications in Perspectives in Public Health found that when there were well thought out and efficiently implemented diet-related interventions in the workplace, productivity increased by 1%-2%.

If your Rockville, MD organization doesn’t offer snacks or beverages in the office break room or is looking to switch from traditional vending snacks and beverages to healthy ones, we can help. By switching to healthy options, the dilemma of making a healthy choice is removed. For more information about how to make the switch, contact SunDun Office Refreshments at 800.466.2731.

Have you ever wondered who purchases bottled water? As it turns out, just about everyone does. According to the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) and the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMS), “Americans are drinking more bottled water than any other packaged beverage” for the first time in American history. A recent Harris poll conducted for the IBWA found that 86 percent of people polled purchase bottled water. Additionally, the BMS recently released numbers for 2016 bottled water sales. They found that there was a 10 percent increase in sales and an 8.6 percent increase in bottled water consumption. Now, that’s a lot of bottled water.

So, what makes bottled water so popular? The answer depends on who you talk to. Bottled water offers many benefits and has the potential to meet a wide variety of Fairfax, VA consumer needs. The following are just a few of the features that have made bottled water popular.

Bottled water is versatile.

• It can be consumed at any time of the day.
• Water mixes well with many other types of beverages.
• You can drink it cold or hot.
• It can be found with carbonation or without, and flavored or plain.

Bottled water is healthy.

• It contains zero calories.
• It keeps the body hydrated.
• It can improve one’s mood and focus.
• It can help replenish lost electrolytes.

Bottled water is portable.

• It is convenient when one is on-the-go.
• It is easy to carry it with you.
• Bottled water is available in many locations.
• Disposal of the bottle is relatively simple.

Bottled water is safe.

• It is regulated as a food product by the Food & Drug Administration.
• Bottled water has a long shelf life.
• An extra supply should be kept for an emergency or disaster situation.
• It can help prevent illness when traveling outside of the U.S.

With the great demand for bottled water, it is important to make sure that your Fairfax, VA employees have access to a variety of bottled water choices during their work day. Not only will you help your employees remain hydrated during the day but their mood and focus are likely to improve if they are hydrated. A large selection of low or no sugar, flavored carbonated waters can also be a refreshing treat during a work break.

What bottled water options do you offer in your office break room? SunDun Office Refreshments can help you determine the best combination of flat and carbonated bottled waters as well as other beverages to offer in your office break room. To learn more, contact us at 800.466.2731.

Is it healthy, not so healthy, or somewhere in between? If it’s not so healthy, you are part of a large number of Americans who feel that their diet is unhealthy. Recent research by Mintel, a market intelligence agency, found that “less than half (42 percent) of Americans consider their diet to be healthy.” Yikes!

While negative dietary influences vary greatly from person to person, there is one thing that impacts the majority of Alexandria, VA consumers—being able to determine the validity of health-related claims on food packaging. As a consumer, how can you combat the uncertainty that often comes with reading food packaging?

Before looking at the packaging issue, it is important to understand what a food or health-related claim is. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) describes a health claim as “a relationship between a food substance (a food, food component, or dietary supplement ingredient), and reduced risk of a disease or health-related condition.” An example of an FDA-approved health claim that explains the benefit of calcium on the risk of osteoporosis is, “Adequate calcium throughout life, as part of a well-balanced diet, may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.” For a manufacturer to be able to include this claim on the packaging of one of their products, the product must meet a list of specific requirements.

Given that it is often difficult to know those requirements while reading different packaging, the nutrition label and ingredient list are a great resource. Ingredient lists and nutrition labels often contain a large amount of information. To better understand that information, here are a few strategies for reading them.

Nutrition Labels

• Determine how big or small the serving size is for each packaged item. Often the serving size is different than the amount of food or drink in the package. To correctly understand the other information on the nutrition label, knowing the correct serving size is key.
• Understand that the “percentage daily value” listed on the nutrition label is not the same for everyone. Most nutrition labels are based on a 2000 calorie per day diet. If you are taller or shorter or male or female or 17 or 39 or 82 or super active or a couch potato, it is likely that your caloric needs are different. Use the amount listed, 2000 calories per day, and adjust it up or down based on your own needs.
• Pay special attention to the amount of sugar, unhealthy fats, and sodium that are in a serving as those are ingredients that many individuals need to limit.

Ingredient Lists

• Look for recognizable ingredients. If it is an item that you have never heard of or cannot pronounce, look it up or ask someone what it is.
• Consider which ingredients are listed first or early in the list of ingredients. The earlier the ingredient is listed, the larger the amount is of that ingredient.
• If choosing a food that doesn’t come in a labeled package such as fruits or vegetables isn’t an option, choose products that have shorter ingredient lists. (See previous tip)

Now that you are armed with a few strategies for understanding the information on packaged foods and beverages, you are ready to head out and make healthy snack and beverage choices.

We at SunDun Office Refreshments would like to help make things a little easier for everyone by offering a selection of snacks and beverages in your Alexandria, VA office break room. For more information about our products and service options, call us at 800.466.2731.

What are the ingredients in your favorite vending machine snack or beverage? Do you know? If you do, you belong to a growing group of consumers who not only know which ingredients are in their food but also know the number of ingredients. According to Andrew Mandyz, Director of Strategic Insights at Nielsen, “There’s a shift in how people are thinking about ‘better for you.’ People are looking for back-to-basics, simpler ingredients.”

Ingredient Labels

Seeing the recipe for your snack or beverage would be the best way to learn about what is in it, and how much of each thing was used. But since that is rarely an option, there is another way for McLean, VA consumers to learn about what is in their food and drink—by reading ingredient labels. Ingredients are listed in a very specific order. The largest ingredient is listed first, followed by each ingredient until the smallest ingredient. For example, a ready-to-drink cold tea that lists the ingredients tea (water, tea), sugar, and lemon is letting the consumer know that there is more tea than sugar, and more sugar than lemon in the beverage. Nielsen found that “about 61 percent [of consumers] said that the shorter the ingredients’ list, the healthier the product.”

Online Resources

In addition to reading ingredient labels, consumers are researching health information online. Mandzy found that the number of consumers who went online for information went from 48% in 2014 up to 68% in 2016, a 20% increase. With the large amount of health information available online, and more McLean, VA consumers using the internet, it is important to know how to determine if a website contains reliable information. Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center offers some tips:

• Don’t search the entire Internet. Start with the Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library [or other hospital website] or MedlinePlus.gov.
• Evaluate commercial (“dot com”) sites carefully for bias and conflict of interest.
• Check to see if the information is current (less than three years old).
• Look for the credentials of the author (i.e. doctor, nurse, psychologist) to make sure the information is written by a health professional.

Technology as a Tool

Using technology to track health-related activities and numbers are also on the rise. There are apps that are worn during activities such as running or walking, ones that track the number of hours slept and the quality of sleep, ones that track what an individual has eaten and count calories, and others that track heart health or healthy habits. With so many apps available, it can be challenging to find one that meets a McLean, VA user’s needs. Harvard Health Publications recommends several things to consider when looking for the right app.

• Have realistic expectations of the technology and watch out for unrealistic claims.
• Read reviews. Try out a few different ones.
• Read the fine print.
• Ask for recommendations.
• Look for ones “sponsored or created by established health advocacy groups, medical organizations, or universities”

Reading ingredient labels, researching health information and monitoring one’s own health-related activities are just a few of the many ways that consumers can become more knowledgeable. Sharon Allison-Ottey, MD and health educator, recently expressed that “the overall trend of a more-educated consumer is excellent” especially when it comes to a person’s diet. Which snack and beverage ingredients do your consumers want to see in their McLean, VA healthy vending machines?

Contact SunDun Office Refreshments at 800.466.2731 to learn more about our vending options.