Month: October 2019

Healthy Pumpkin Snacks in Orlando and Central Florida

4 Healthy Ways to Enjoy Pumpkin in Orlando and Central Florida

Posted on by elisabeth
Healthy Pumpkin Snacks in Orlando and Central Florida

As the season shifts into the second half of fall, Orlando and Central Florida employees will soon be tasked with deciding between healthy foods and unhealthy ones. National Pumpkin Day (October 26) is a great time to start making healthy choices.

Why National Pumpkin Day? There are two specific reasons—pumpkins are very healthy, and they are everywhere this time of year. From coffees to pies and pastries, there are so many ways to enjoy this seasonal flavor.

Pumpkins are a nutrient-dense food packed with vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, iron, folate, lutein and zeaxanthin, potassium, fiber, copper, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and several B vitamins. Health benefits range from lowered risks of stomach, throat, pancreas and breast cancers to an improved immune system and increased heart, eye and skin health. 

Instead of almost always eating or drinking pumpkin-flavored favorites made with too much sugar, let’s consider four healthy ways to enjoy all the pumpkin deliciousness.

  • roasted pumpkin seeds: A simple but healthy and delicious snack, roasted pumpkin seeds require just three ingredients; pumpkin seeds, butter or oil, and salt.
  • pumpkin yogurt parfait: Yogurt parfaits are a great snack or mini meal to be enjoyed at any time of the day. Instead of adding fruit to the yogurt and granola, add pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices, and enjoy the taste of fall. 
  • pumpkin flavored baked goods: Finding extra time to bake your own can be a serious challenge especially with the upcoming holiday season, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy premade ones. Before jumping in, be sure to read the nutrition label and ingredients list so an informed decision can be made. 
  • pumpkin chai latte: A hot beverage on a cool fall day is something to be enjoyed. For a healthier pumpkin chai latter, create your own with chai tea, pumpkin puree, spices and a non-dairy milk like almond milk.
Healthy Pumpkin Snacks in Orlando and Central Florida

If beverages or baked goods made with real pumpkin puree don’t sound delicious, try making your own pumpkin spice blend and add it to your favorite hot beverage. Most pumpkin spice blends include ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground allspice or cloves.

Rather than Orlando and Central Florida employees leaving the office to find delicious pumpkin treats, employers have an opportunity to offer healthy flavors including pumpkin to their employees via the break room. A customized refreshment menu with healthy choices and seasonal flavors as well as everyone’s favorites is a great benefit that can also help employees make healthier food decisions. And that is a benefit for everyone, including employers. Employees who are healthier tend to be more creative and productive and take fewer sick days which can lead to an increase in overall productivity. 

The Vending Station is here to help your organization create a break room refreshment menu that includes more healthy choices. For more information about healthy options or any of our other services including micro-markets and office coffee service, please call us at (407) 891.7632. We look forward to speaking with you.

vending machines in orlando and central florida break rooms

Unique Vending Machines Inspire Orlando and Central Florida Break Rooms

Posted on by josh
vending machines in orlando and central florida break rooms

References to and the use of vending machines can be found off and on throughout history. The first written record described a machine in 215 BC that dispensed holy water after the user inserted a coin. In 2019 countries across the world have chosen to use vending machines to make sure their customers always have access to the products they want when they want them.

Three interesting examples that can be found in different parts of the U.S. are Barrett’s Smokehouse’s meat vending machine, The Art-o-mat® and The Breadbot.

smoked meat: Ever have a craving for bratwurst, beef brisket or pulled pork, and your favorite smokehouse is closed? A Michigan smokehouse has the solution to your problem. Open 24/7 with almost any barbecued product you can think of, this closely monitored vending machine offers delicious, fresh products that are replaced daily.

art: The Art-o-mat®, a vending machine that sells art, is both a machine that sells a product and a work of art. Using an old cigarette vending machine, artist Clark Whittington modified the machine in order to be able to sell his own art at a local cafe. The idea took off, and now multiple artists sell their work in machines throughout the US.

bread: Enjoy freshly made bread without having to put in all the work. Wilkinson Baking Company developed The Breadbot, a free-standing, mini bakery that takes care of the entire baking process and delivers a variety of delicious options.

vending machines in orlando and central florida break rooms

As with the creators of these vending machines, don’t be afraid to step out of the box when designing your Orlando and Central Florida break room. Approach the process from the perspective of a business determining how they will meet very specific goals. The following objectives are examples that any organization can use to start determining their specific goals.

  • encourage employees to stay on-site when they need a coffee break by offering delicious coffee options; benefit: less time spent away from the office (less time at the office usually means less work accomplished)  
  • offer healthy snacks, beverages and fresh food; benefit: healthy employees have fewer sick days and are more productive
  • create a welcoming space; benefit: chance to decrease stress levels and increase morale

In addition, meeting the previous three goals also creates more opportunities for spontaneous creativity and interactions with colleagues

How will your Orlando and Central Florida organization get creative when determining your break room goals? Whether you know exactly what your break room needs or are starting from scratch, The Vending Station can help. We offer a wide variety of refreshment programs including micro-markets, pantry service, vending machines and office coffee service as well as healthy and traditional snacks, beverages and fresh food. It’s time to take the first step. For more information about any of our services, please call The Vending Station at The Vending Station.