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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 Tulsa and Oklahoma City 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 Blue Sky Supply would like to help make things a little easier for everyone by offering a selection of snacks and beverages in your Tulsa and Oklahoma City office break room. For more information about our products and services, call us at (918) 599-9100.

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 Tulsa and Oklahoma City 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 Tulsa and Oklahoma City 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 Tulsa and Oklahoma City 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 Tulsa and Oklahoma City healthy vending machines?

Contact Blue Sky Supply at (918) 599-9100 to learn more about our vending options.

If your New Year’s resolution was to lose weight and/or eat healthier, keep your commitment to yourself and choose “bubbly” sparkling water instead of champagne or soda for your Valentine’s Day celebration.

Why make sparkling water your beverage of choice in 2017?

• It’s Healthier – Many leading brands, such as LaCroix, don’t have any calories, sweeteners, sodium or anything artificial.
• It’s Cheaper – With many cities and counties across the country imposing extra taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, it’s better for your budget to stay away from sodas.
• It’s Trending – According to the Wall Street Journal’s article LaCroix Bubbles Up in Water Brand Competition, sparkling water consumption grew 26% from 2015-2016. And according to an article from Huffington Post, Sparkling Water is the New Soda, between 2009 and 2014, the volume of carbonated bottled water sold in the U.S. increased by 56.4%.
• It’s Diverse – Sparkling water offers a large variety of flavors not commonly found in soda. Think black cherry dragon fruit, orange grapefruit, and kiwi watermelon.

This year as you work to improve your own drinking habits don’t forget to help your Tulsa and Oklahoma City employees do the same.

Whether you offer traditional vending, micro markets or pantry service benefits to your employees, your local vendor can stock your healthy breakroom with sparkling water options.

Some of our favorites include:

ICE – Started in the early 1990s in the Pacific Northwest, the ICE line now includes sparkling teas and lemonades in addition to their twelve succulent varieties of sparkling water.

Dasani Sparkling – All 6 varieties of Dasani Sparkling water are unsweetened and have no artificial flavor. They also are juice free.

LaCroix – Originating in the 1980s LaCroix has made a serious comeback complete with a whole new look. Today they are easily the leading name in sparkling water.

For more sparkling water or juice options call Blue Sky Supply at (918) 599-9100 today. We’ll be happy to add some healthy carbonated beverages to your Tulsa and Oklahoma City vending machines or pantry service with your next refill.

Have you ever had one of those days when you need an energy boost to make it through the day? If you have, you’re not alone. Even athletes such as elite marathoners sometimes need an energy boost while training and competing. Marathoners have traditionally used gels for an energy boost, but there is a new trend among athletes that could soon find its way into your healthy breakroom vending machine—caffeinated gum. Caffeine is known to increase one’s alertness and decrease fatigue. Recent research about caffeinated gum and its effects on athletes by New Zealand’s Eastern Institute of Technology’s Carl Paton confirmed that caffeinated gum behaves in the same way as gels by improving performance, focus and clarity. To combat your afternoon slump, try adding caffeinated gum to one of these healthy options.

Choose Healthy Snacks

What you eat matters. Eating healthy is important for all of us in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, not just athletes. Choosing healthy snacks whether it be cheese slices with whole wheat crackers or sliced apples with peanut butter plays an important role in combating the sluggishness and fatigue caused by poor nutrition. The saying that food is our body’s fuel is true as what we eat either positively or negatively impacts how we perform. Whether you keep healthy snacks in your desk or choose ones from a vending machine, make healthy selections to see the most benefit.

Drink Water

Our bodies are made of multiple systems that rely on water to be able to function correctly. Unfortunately, most of us don’t drink nearly enough 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. Water and other non-sugary beverages can be found in your office vending machine or healthy breakroom.

Go for a Walk

Movement is a great way to increase energy levels and improve focus. It could be going for a walk in one of Tulsa and Oklahoma City’s neighborhoods or doing jumping jacks at your desk. As long as your blood flow increases and you breathe a bit faster, you should see benefits. Exercise is also great for stress relief. When we decrease our stress level, our mood often improves and we feel more motivated to accomplish our to-do lists. Whether you exercise with a friend or on your own, get moving.

Have Some Caffeine

Most often when we need a boost of energy, we gravitate toward coffee or other caffeinated beverages. There are times, however, when consuming caffeine in a beverage is not an option.  For example, you might not have a cup of coffee or other caffeinated beverage nearby or you may not enough time to drink an entire beverage. Caffeinated gum has an additional benefit that caffeinated beverages do not. The caffeine from caffeinated gum bypasses the digestive system and goes straight into your system, so you feel the effect of the caffeine faster.

Eating healthy snacks, drinking water and exercising all contribute to increased energy throughout the day at the office. Caffeinated gum offers the extra pick me up that we all sometimes need. Would your Tulsa and Oklahoma City consumers like to see caffeinated gum as a healthy snack in their vending machines or healthybreak room? Contact Blue Sky Supply today at 918-599-9100.

You’ve heard the famous saying: “Breakfast is the healthiest meal of the day.” But is that really true? Is it really that bad if you skip breakfast? You might be telling yourself, “who has the time to make eggs and toast with avocado on top?” In reality, there are many serious risks to skipping breakfast, ranging from your mood to obesity. Some even claim it can threaten your life to put off having a breakfast. Sacrificing ten minutes of sleep for a hearty breakfast is well worth your time for several reasons.

Moody

Skipping breakfast makes you more moody than necessary. According to a 2002 BBC News World Edition article, a moody temperament was improved if they ate breakfast. Furthermore, 26% of people had a large change in temperament by changing their diet. This included making breakfast a daily meal. Elizabeth Somer, author of Eat Your Way to Happiness, she admitted to being a “breakfast avoider for many years,” especially while working full time. When she stopped working full time, people said she would “gain tons of weight.” But she proved them wrong by making sure she ate a “sane breakfast and a light lunch,” which led to actually losing 30 pounds. Losing weight and having more energy makes her “a much happier human being.” Her changes can be implemented, even as a full time employee with enough effort.

Slowed metabolism

By skipping breakfast, you might be increasing your risk of obesity. In addition, losing weight may be harder for you, simply because you are skipping breakfast. There are many benefits to eating breakfast. For example, you are less likely to overeat by making breakfast a priority in your day. It also quickens your metabolism and increases your energy throughout the day. This makes sense because when you are sleeping, you are fasting. “Prolonged fasting,” Leah Cahill warns, “leads to increases in diastolic and systolic blood pressure, blood concentrations of insulin, triglycerides, free fatty acids and LDL-cholesterol, and to decreases in concentrations of HDL-cholesterol.” In an attempt to correct this, you are more likely to make unhealthy choices as your cravings, leading to obesity. Of course, obesity comes with a slew of problems, such as infertility. Fasting for extended periods of time can be stressful on your body – even life-threatening. Clearly, breakfast is worth implementing into your daily life.

Menstrual Irregularities

College students are guilty of skipping breakfast in exchange for a few more minutes of sleep. This certainly can apply to many adults in the workforce, who may work late nights and have early mornings. Female students who skipped breakfast, according to a 2010 survey study by “Appetite,” had more menstrual irregularities than those who ate breakfast. Pain, irregularity, and even constipation was heightened by choosing to forgo breakfast.

Heart Problems

This is accompanied with a slower metabolism. But the problem is quite serious, apparently, according to a Harvard study evaluating eating habits and its influence for coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. In a group of 27,000 male healthcare professionals, they evaluated their lifestyle choices (such as skipping breakfast) and their health over 16 years. They were 45-82 years old at the beginning of the study. During the 16 years, 1527 CHD cases were diagnosed. In fact, men who skipped breakfast had a 27% higher risk of CHD than those who did not skip breakfast.

Slower Cognitive Development

In a Centers for Disease Control report, they found that children skipping breakfast had more trouble problem-solving. Students who ate breakfast, however, tested higher in standardized tests, missed less school, and were timelier to classes. This does not apply exclusively to children, though. As an adult, your body needs the energy to work effectively. Skipping breakfast is like going on a trip without a suitcase – it is a lot harder. While many see the problem with unhealthy food, the significance of eating healthy food may prove to be just as important.

What do you think? Do you focus better by having breakfast? Do you notice a difference? The results seem to indicate a strong case for eating breakfast. While it’s an easy meal to skip, especially in the beginning of the day, your mind and body will thank you later for taking the extra time for breakfast.

If you are looking for breakfast options for your Tulsa and Oklahoma City breakroom, call Blue Sky Supply at (918) 599-9100 for a free, no obligation consultation.

The break room snack machine in Tulsa and Oklahoma City plays a more important role in consumers’ lives today than at any time in history. Especially vending machines offering nutritious snacks with brands that consumers know and trust.
If your Tulsa and Oklahoma City break room happens to cater to Millennials, the snack machine is even more critical to their daily lifestyles.
The latest Mintel research confirms that consumers prefer portable snacks when on-the-go and they will pay more for healthier snacks and indulgent treats. Based on the June 2016 Mintel report, “Snacking in Foodservice,” 67 percent of consumers aged 18 to 44 desire snacks that are portable for on-the-go consumption.

With snacking now ubiquitous, more than three in five (64 percent) consumers agree that snacking is necessary to get through the day, including 77 percent of Millennials. What’s more, an extra boost of energy is also a motivator for Millennials as two in five (38 percent) dine at snack shops for energy compared to one quarter (27 percent) of consumers overall.
Recognizable brands also play a role when choosing snacks, as seven in 10 (69 percent) of consumers say snacks with branded ingredients are higher quality than other snacks. Moreover, seven in 10 (71 percent) Millennials say snacks are best eaten while on the go.
Keep in mind that Millennials are the fastest growing segment of today’s work force.
“Millennials gave us food trucks, food raves – what they want is a sense of community and they get that around food… They wake up every morning with the idea ‘you only live once’ (YOLO), so they are driving food trends, and we need to be watching carefully what Millennials are eating, because that’s what is creating the trends,” said Phil Lempert, a food marketing and retail expert.
While it’s important to address the needs of all consumers, the Millennials bear special attention since their numbers are growing.
As for the generation that succeeds the Millennials, snacking will also be important. The youngest consumers are being exposed to more varieties of flavors by their parents, meaning foodservice providers need to be ready to provide more variety in the meals and snacks they offer.
“There is a movement among parents to expand the palates of their children by introducing them to more diverse flavors that don’t typically fit into a kids’ menu,” says Diana Kelter, a foodservice analyst at Mintel.
Creative vending and refreshment service providers will certainly need to find ways to introduce more diverse snacks for consumers to eat on the run.
For more information about healthy snack and beverage options for your Tulsa and Oklahoma City breakroom, contact your Tulsa and Oklahoma City vending partner Blue Sky Supply at (918) 599-9100 to discuss your customized break room solution.