Office Snacks: 4 Smart Swaps to Make for a Healthy Vending Machine Today
Posted by Amelia K. on Monday, October 27th, 2014 with 1 Comments
There’s a trend within the corporate office space to bring healthier options into every employee’s workday. And while offering exercise classes, healthy living seminars, and yummy food delivery options are all great ideas, there’s still one big offender at many offices around the country: the traditional vending machine. The often used, but little thought of snack dispenser is the office hot spot for anyone craving an easy morning snack or a mid-afternoon chocolatey treat. The problem is that most of the items offered by a traditional vending machine are filled with fat, empty calories, and little protein. This won’t help keep your staff full for the long haul and doesn’t provide any of the brain boosting nutrients that healthier foods offer.
And when it comes to stocking your vending machine with the right foods, you should feel great about being health conscious for the benefit of your employees. Incorporating more whole grains, fruits, veggies, legumes, and dairy into your diet can help you do more than just help you to stay fuller, longer – the combination of vitamins, protein, and antioxidants can help your staff be more energized, more productive, and happier overall. So if you’re looking to make some changes to what your vending machine has to offer, we’re right behind you – with four of the major swaps you can make for a healthy vending machine today.
Adding healthier options to your vending machine is a great way to offer your employees nutritious food on the go.
Photo Credit: Flickr user cliff1066
Swap soda for sparkling water: While it’s true that a little sugar or caffeine boost can help you get through the next hour of work, it’s not going to keep you going for the entire afternoon. And with nearly two-thirds of the American population not drinking enough water during the day, promoting healthy drinks, like sparkling water or low-calorie flavored waters, can encourage your team to contribute more to their daily intake. Getting enough water is essential for preventing headaches and dehydration, so it’s an easy way for your team to get a little healthier, one sip at a time.
Swap cookies for protein bars: The truth is, there are times when everyone needs a quick bite between meetings, especially when they don’t have time for lunch. And usually in these situations, a vending machine would give your staff the option of cookies or chips. Swapping out those cookies for protein bars can be a great way to fill your team up while still providing a lot of protein, giving them the energy and brain-boosting power they need to power through their next meeting, when they can finally order some lunch. This can help your employees – and the quality of their work – be much better for the wear.
Swap potato chips for lighter snacks: While they can be a tasty treat every once in a while, chips can be packed with empty calories – which give you nothing in terms of nutrition to get through the rest of your day. Swapping out these snacks for healthy option like light popcorn, a small serving of trail mix, or carrots and hummus – options that are filled with whole grains, fiber, protein, and essential nutrients – can be a great way to give your staff the boost they need to fuel up before a big conference call.
Swap juice for milk and yogurt: Not only can three servings of dairy per day help you control your waistline, they’re packed with nutrients like calcium for bone strength and are a good source of protein, which can both satiate hunger and help you feel more energized. Lowfat milk actually has the right balance of protein and carbs to be the perfect post-workout re-fueling drink – which can make it an even better addition to your healthy vending machine if you’re offering workout classes over the lunch hour. And with lots of high-protein Greek yogurt on the market these days, it’s easy to find options that your staff will love – maybe even more than a bag of gummy bears!
Helping your staff get healthy
Leading a healthy lifestyle isn’t something that happens overnight. But it can be a lot easier to make the conversion when you’re surrounded by nutritious options, including when you’re at work. So stocking your vending machine with healthier snacks can be a great way to support your staff in their efforts to incorporate wiser choices into their daily eating habits – as well as give them some healthy snack options when running to meetings between meals.
And when it comes to healthy meal delivery, you can even do more to bring healthy options to your team’s plate each day through Waiter.com’s custom cafe. We give you access to healthy menu choices from up to six local restaurants every day. And our easy-to-use flexible payment options let you allocate the tab to the company or your staff. Now that’s a way to really help your team understand the value of healthy eating!
When it comes to feeding employees and coworkers, make your company's food program really count! If your workplace dining plan needs to take it up a notch — or if you don't have one at all — Waiter.com is here to help. From Virtual Cafeteria Service to diverse menus to local takeout & delivery, Waiter.com offers customizable dining solutions for every business and budget. Contact us today to get started!
Staff will be appreciative that the company has their best interests in mind, and adding a convenient and accessible source of food and drink helps create a happy and efficient working environment.