Is it just me, or did April fly by? I can’t believe yesterday was already the first day of May! Where does the time go? Yesterday it just hit me that Keenan will be turning three and starting preschool in three months! It is crazy, because it seems like he was just born, but now he is becoming this big, independent little boy (as I wipe away happy and sad tears all at the same time).
Anyhow, enough of the tears, it is time to talk about Healthy Vending for this week’s Thursday Tidbits! In case you missed last week’s post, you can find it here. If you are new, Thursday Tidbits is a weekly post featuring anything health, fitness or wellness related. If there is a topic you would like to see, let me know!
I decided to talk about H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending today because they are the leader in providing 100% healthy vending machines for businesses across the nation and Canada. When I was working for a large health care organization several years before I had Keenan and a short while after, I was frustrated with what our company offered in terms of vending machine options. I managed the organization’s employee work-site wellness program and we were constantly fighting for healthier vending machine options, but we never won the battle. The leaders who were not the healthiest bunch insisted that the vending machines offer soda, candy, chips–basically anything that was considered junk food. So, when H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending reached out to me, telling me about their company, mission, and vending machines, I was more than excited to help them spread the word about what they are doing.
The generous snack pack they sent!
They are actually the world’s first 100% healthy vending company and they provide more than 1,000 machines across the U.S, Canada and Puerto Rico. The company was started in 2008 by Sean Patrick Kelly and Andrew Mackensen, thus launching Healthy Vending with the mission of making healthy food more convenient than junk food. H.U.M.A.N. stands for “Helping Unite Mankind And Nutrition.” They give 10% of all profits to charities that fight obesity, as well as creating a kid-focused charity called HUMAN Everywhere, teaching kids about nutrition and fighting ALIENs (Attacking Life as Infectious Enemies of Nutrition).
Locally, Stacey and Brian Van Lente–a husband-and-wife team–partnered with H.U.M.A.N Healthy Vending to offer convenient, healthy snacks and beverages to schools and business within the Sacramento area. They started the business to work together and do something that they believe in–trying to make a difference in the health of our community. Currently, they have healthy vending machines in two schools, Folsom Middle School and Sutter Middle School. I love hearing stories like this, about people who are passionate about health and wellness, and making a difference in their community.
To give me a sample of what the vending machines offer, the Van Lentes sent me a snack pack of some wonderful goodies that included a reusable tote, water bottle, Pop Chips, Snikkidy’s Cheddar Cheese Baked Fries, Pirate’s Booty, Luna Bar, Clif Bar, Clif Mojo Bar, Boom Chicka Pop, Angie’s Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn. I was surprised at how many items (and good ones!) were in the bag. It would have been nice to offer this variety of healthy options at the health care organization that I worked at. I hope more companies and schools will jump on the bandwagon and start revamping their vending machines!
The wonderful sample of goodies that are offered in their vending machines.
H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending, and Stacey and Brian Van Lente, were so generous that they offered to send one lucky a reader their own snack pack!
To enter, see below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclaimer: All products were given to me for free and all opinions are my own.
I think more places really need to offer healthy options in vending machines because there is just too much junk food available these days. Many people fail to plan ahead & be healthy food carriers (I always have a healthy snack in my purse) & these vending machines can help offer them a healthy option on the go when that hunger strikes. I think they’re doing a great thing!
I’m like you in always having healthy snacks in my purse, but I sure hope more businesses jump on the band wagon in providing healthier options for their employees!
It’s so great to hear that people are realizing how important it is to offer healthy options in public places! Love this!
I just hope more businesses and schools will provide healthier choices!
I think this is fantastic. I would love to have these options in my work. I have sent a link to our office admin to see if we can get one of these there.
Awesome! I hope your office can get them!
This is great! It’s way too easy to go for junk when you’re at work… especially the mid afternoon pick me up. Healthier options could make such a difference for people who want to treat themselves to something. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, so true!
I would like to see this at our high school in Linden.
What a great idea.
I think it’s important to have easy access to healthy food, especially at work or schools. Healthy food is much better fuel for thinking/concentration, energy, and productivity.
I agree. There shouldn’t even be a question in regards to providing healthy choices at schools or workplaces!
This would be awesome!!! At my work if you need a snack and don’t plan ahead to bring your own the only option is the vending machine crud or starve- soooo many of my coworkers buy daily. Having a healthy choice would be awesome. And don’t get me started on schools!! They should either have these machines or none at all!
I agree with you on schools only having healthy vending machines!
I would LOVE to see more businesses providing healthy vending options because I am a firm believer in the art of availability. If you have a fruit basket with easy access, people are MUCH more likely to chose a healthy snack than they are to go for the chips/cookies. I also think it serves as good “press” for the company…that they care about the health of their employees and customers. As a medical professional this is something I am very disappointed in with my hospital.
I completely agree with you about the art of availability! I saw that all the time when I managed the wellness program at a large health care organization in Northern California. We actually did “mini tests or studies,” of putting fresh fruit and veggies with a plate of cookies in meeting rooms. It was interesting that almost every time most of the fruit and veggies would be eaten, and only one or two cookies would be gone! Offering healthy choices for its’ employees absolutely serves as good “press” for a company, especially a health care organization!
Having healthy options readily and conveniently available helps curb those snack cravings from unhealthy junk food temptations that are so easy to give in to!
Thanks so much!
It’s hard to eat healthy when all you can find is junk at work!
People at least have a nutritious option to choose from in a convenient machine! Thanks so much!