Category: Healthy Break Room Options

Employees want access to healthy options. The events of 2020 have made that desire even stronger. Since Orlando employees spend the majority of the day at work, the break room is the ideal place to grab something to eat or drink. Vending machines and micro-markets can offer both healthy and traditional snacks, beverages, and fresh food.  

The start of 2021 will soon be here with new food trends to explore. Here are four that include a variety of healthy ingredients.

Immune Boosting Foods

Citrus, ginger, and garlic are some of the more well-known immune boosting ingredients. While none of these will prevent or cure illnesses, they do help strengthen the immune system. A strong immune system can fight off colds and other infections. Superfoods such as berries, leafy greens (the darker the better), nuts, whole grains, yogurt, cruciferous vegetables, and legumes also help. 

Meals or snacks made with these healthy ingredients don’t have to be complicated. Your Orlando break room menu could include a salad with mixed greens, broccoli and chickpeas, trail mix with dried fruit, and whole grain crackers with or without a nut butter.

Healthy Breakfast

Whether the start of your employees’ day is at 6:00 am or 6:00 pm, choosing something healthy for the first meal of the day makes sure that the day starts off right. Simple and quick options available in the break room could include oatmeal, muffins, granola and yogurt, a breakfast burrito, hard boiled eggs, or a smoothie.

The Next “It” Ingredient

Following in cauliflower’s footsteps, chickpeas are projected to be 2021’s “it” ingredient. Chickpeas are very versatile. Almost anything can be made with them. They are also a great source of protein. Menu options could include baked chickpeas with a variety of spices and flavors, breakfast cereals (which everyone knows can be enjoyed 24/7), chocolate covered chickpeas, and crisps or chips.

An Extra Healthy Serving

It’s not always easy to eat enough fruits and vegetables. Instead of worrying about adding an extra serving to a meal, vegetable and fruit-based snacks are an alternative. Jerky made from fruit or vegetables is a new snack option that falls into that category. Flavors range from banana or mango to mushrooms and beets. There really is a flavor for everyone.

And don’t forget about the coffee. It may not be on the 2021 trends list, but it will always be in demand. Discover how easy it is to offer healthy snacks and fresh food in your Orlando break room.

For more information, please call The Vending Station at (407) 891.7632. We look forward to helping you get your break room ready for 2021.

The pandemic of 2020 has affected everything work related including the break room experience. For many Jacksonville businesses, the pre-COVID break room was a multi-purpose space that offered both tangible and intangible employee benefits. It was a gathering space, a workspace, and a place to relax as well as being the hub of all things edible. Workplace culture and company morale could be positively impacted by the experiences that employees had there.

Before March of 2020, Jacksonville break rooms were used in many ways including:

• buffet-style lunches
• free bagels or donuts—something that gets everyone excited in the morning
• birthday celebrations with cakes and cookies
• on-site café-style coffee menus
• catered working lunches
• communal kitchens with snacks and beverages
• community breakfasts
• free snacks, beverages, and fresh food
• potluck meals and other holiday celebrations
• fresh food and coffee options—encouraging employees to stay on-site and increasing productivity

While many traditional ways of doing things are on hold, at least for now, it doesn’t mean employers and employees are left without options. There are still many ways that employers can safely provide snacks, fresh food, cold beverages, and coffee options that will boost morale and continue to decrease the need to go off-site.

Prepackaged Everything

Rather than offering free donuts in the morning, snacks in bulk, or a shared potluck meal, fresh food and snacks should be prepackaged. Choices such as individually wrapped muffins or donuts, prepackaged mixed nuts, and a prepared salad or sandwich are great options. Fortunately, many employers already have systems in place to provide those types of refreshments.  

Additionally, all the products in vending machines and most of the products available in micro-markets are prepackaged. For those products that weren’t prepackaged before March 2020, there are now solutions available and changes that can be made to overcome this obstacle. Employers need to work with their refreshment provider to customize a solution for their specific situation.  

Safety Protocols

Implementing a variety of safety precautions connected directly to the break room can not only decrease exposure, but it can also help support company culture. Jacksonville employees who feel that their employer cares about their health and well-being are more likely to be invested in their job and be more productive.

In addition to prepackaged options, break room safety protocols can include directions for picking up or touching items in multiple situations such as using hand sanitizer before touching a kiosk or vending machine or using a paper towel as a barrier when opening a cooler in a micro-market. Extra signs with messages such as “if you touch it, please take it” can help remind everyone to limit the number of items they touch.

Does your Jacksonville break room check off all the boxes? Sorting out the different ways to modify it can be time consuming. The Vending Station can help you figure out the answers, so it meets today’s needs and has the potential to meet tomorrows. We offer customized refreshment menus that will fit your current needs and will work with you to adapt your break room as your employees’ needs change. For more information about our range of services, please call us at (407) 891.7632.

Healthy employees are likely to be more engaged and productive at work. Given the extra stress everyone is experiencing today, and the negative impact stress can have on health, Orlando employers have an opportunity to offer their employees an extra benefit—healthy snacks and beverages in the break room. An extra bonus for employers is that this benefit delivers bigger returns than the upfront costs.

An important vitamin that is found in many healthy options is vitamin C. While most individuals think only of the common cold when vitamin C is mentioned, vitamin C offers many other health benefits. As with other antioxidants, vitamin C protects the body’s cells against the effects of free radicals, which play a role in combating heart disease and cancer.

Recent research also found that consuming vitamin C can help maintain muscle mass as a person ages, something that all Orlando employees should be aware of. According to the results, Dr. Richard Hayhoe from the University of East Anglia (UEA)’s Norwich Medical School explained, “people with the highest amounts of vitamin C in their diet or blood had the greatest estimated skeletal muscle mass, compared to those with the lowest amounts.” For an average adult, the current daily value recommendation for vitamin C is 90 mg.

So which foods contain the most vitamin C?

While kale ranks at the top for vitamin C as well as for many other nutrients, let’s take a look at some other popular fruits and vegetables that also have a good amount of vitamin C. (Side note: yes, tomatoes and avocados are technically fruits, but for this list, let’s place them with the vegetables.)

Fruits (per 100 g)

• Kiwi = 93 mg
• Papaya = 61 mg
• Strawberries = 59 mg
• Oranges = 53 mg
• Pineapple = 48 mg
• Cantaloupe = 37
• Mango = 36 mg
• Apricots = 10 mg

Vegetables (per 100 g)

• Red bell pepper = 128 mg
• Green bell pepper = 80 mg
• Broccoli = 89 mg
• Snow peas = 60 mg
• Peas = 40 mg
• Snap beans = 12 mg
• Tomatoes = 14 mg
• Avocado = 10 mg

While it may seem that many of the fruits and vegetables listed above wouldn’t be found in the break room, think again. Fresh food options such as fruit salads, whole pieces of fruit, green salads with a variety of vegetables, sandwiches topped with tomatoes, and fruit/vegetables juices are readily available in micro-markets and fresh food and beverage vending machines. Many prepackaged products including granola bars, breakfast cereals, protein bars, and even some salty snacks contain vitamin C. The key is to read the nutrition label. Vitamin C may be hiding in a place you don’t expect to find it.

Can your Orlando employees find the healthy fresh foods, snacks, and beverages they want when they visit your break room? If not, call The Vending Station at (407) 891.7632 to learn more about our healthy break room options.

2020 has changed many things for Orlando individuals including an increased focus on healthy eating. Many consumers have discovered a connection between what they eat, how they feel, and their unique health needs, but unfortunately, many individuals still do not consume enough fruits and vegetables.

What’s in demand?

Compared to 2017, the last time we checked in to see what the top fruits and vegetables were, the top 11 fruits and vegetables purchased in 2019, in descending order are: potatoes, bananas, apples, tomatoes, onions, strawberries, grapes, carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, and oranges. 

Each one of these offers specific vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can benefit a different part of the Orlando consumer’s body.

Fruit

• bananas: source of potassium; help lower blood pressure
• apples: source of flavonoids, an antioxidant; lower risk of developing diabetes and asthma
• strawberries: great source of antioxidants; help decrease inflammation and hardened arteries
• grapes:  source of resveratrol, an antioxidant; help prevent heart disease and may reduce the spread of breast, stomach, and colon cancer cells
• oranges: source of folate, a vitamin for pregnant women, and hesperidin, a phytochemical that can lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels

Vegetables

• potatoes: source of soluble and insoluble fiber, vitamin C, and B-complex; help lower plasma LDL cholesterol keep blood sugar stable
• tomatoes: source of antioxidants, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins; protect against cancers and ultra-violet (UV) rays; protects eyes from “age-related macular related macular disease” (ARMD)
• onions: source of chromium, quercetin (an antioxidant), vitamin C, and B-complex; help control diabetes, offer anti-inflammatory properties, and help with brain health
• carrots: source of carotenes, vitamin A, vitamin C, B-complex, copper, calcium, potassium, and antioxidants; help protect against skin, lung, and oral cavity cancers, maintain eye health, and help maintain healthy connective tissue, teeth, and gums
• broccoli: source of fiber, protein, iron, calcium, selenium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, E, K, and an array of B vitamins; lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and helps improve eye health 
• bell peppers:  source of vitamin C, vitamin K1, vitamin E, vitamin A, folate, potassium, and antioxidants; help improve eye health and reduce the risk of anemia

Organic or Conventional?

According to the USDA’s ChooseMyPlate program, most adults should consume between 2 – 3 cups of vegetables and 1.5 – 2 cups of fruit per day. To understand which fruits and vegetables an individual should add to their diet, it is important for them to learn more about their potential choices, both organic and conventional.

Recent research from The Packer’s 2019 Fresh Trends survey found that the overall demand for fresh fruits and vegetables is up compared to the previous year (2018). Survey participants also indicated a preference for Fair Trade (59 percent) and locally grown produce (55 percent). Organic produce sales in 2019 increased by almost 5 percent over 2019 and represented 15 percent of the entire fruit and vegetable market in the U.S. 

The growth in sales for organic produce didn’t plateau after 2019. Sales of organic produce during the spring of 2020 jumped dramatically after the onset of the pandemic. According to Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director of the Organic Trade Association, “The pandemic has only increased our desire for clean, healthy food. Our normal lives have been brought to a screeching halt by the coronavirus.” 

To maintain a healthy diet especially right now, it is important for everyone to have access to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables especially during the workday. Orlando employers can help by offering healthy snacks and beverages at the office that are made from fruits and vegetables. Whether your break room menu could use a few more healthy options or needs to be redesigned, The Vending Station can help. For more information, please contact us at (407) 891.7632.

Sometimes even unwelcome changes can have positive effects. For many Orlando break rooms, the unexpected events of 2020 have compelled employers to reexamine what and how they offer refreshments to their employees. This is not to say that traditional refreshment options in break rooms are no longer appealing to employees because they still are. It’s about understanding the changes to eating habits and other needs that the pandemic and lockdown have triggered and incorporating those.

A Healthier Diet

For many Orlando employees, the constant flow of COVID-19 related news triggered an inward reflection about health and diet. Consuming food is no longer only about stopping hunger or a pleasant experience, it’s now also about food’s functional or health benefits. According to data from Tastewise, an organization that provides data about all things food related, the use of the word “’immunity’ in the context of food searches rose 27% between February 2019 and March 2020.” Searches using other words related to one’s immunity have also increased.

For example, Google searches for fruit such as mangos and berries as well as herbs and spices have substantially increased over the past year. Fruits and vegetables offer a variety of nutrients such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E that the human body can use to boost immune function. Other popular search terms include sleep-supporting, energy drinks, and plant-based. The term “plant-based” has appeared in more than just online searches. Consumers have purchased 200 percent more plant-based meat substitutes during the past year compared to the year before. Eating more plant-based foods can help with weight loss which in turn also benefits the immune system.

Providing Support

Break rooms have gone through many different transformations since they first appeared in workplaces. In 2020, employers have the opportunity to transform their break rooms again into spaces that support employees’ physical and mental health as well as offer sought after refreshments and café-style coffee service. In addition to the dietary considerations mentioned above, there are two less tangible things employers can focus on—creating an environment where employees feel a sense of control and are able to focus on emotional connections with their colleagues.

Because of the extreme amount of change and uncertainty that many Orlando employees have had to cope with during the past several months, consistently well-stocked break rooms can provide a basic sense of control for employees. Questions such as what to eat or drink and where to find a place to purchase those items become something employees no longer need to worry about. Break rooms can also be used as a space to safely recreate a sense of community that many individuals have missed during a variety of lockdowns and work from home periods. We are here to help.

The Vending Station is here to offer support to Orlando employers during this challenging time. We can help safely transform your break room into a welcoming space that offers a variety of better-for-you and traditional refreshment options. For more information about any of our services including office coffee service, micro-markets, and vending machines, please call us at (407) 891.7632.