Principal Jon Wolf Honored with Leadership in Health, Nutrition & Education Award

Orchard Park HS Principal Jon Wolf with His Award

Earlier this month, Orchard Park High School Principal Jon Wolf was honored with the HUMAN Leadership in Health, Nutrition & Education Award. Principal Wolf was given this recognition for his decision to provide his students with healthy vending machines.

Principal Wolf knew the effects of junk food on his students, so he took a proactive step in offering healthier snacks. In the height of the childhood obesity epidemic in America, he knew something had to be done.

We were able to ask Principal Wolf a couple questions about his experience with healthy vending:

Why is it important to help kids learn about healthy vending?

“It’s a lifelong thing that they needed to know; rather than fill themselves up with stuff that’s high in fat, calories, and sugar, we’re looking to something healthier, to start that trend younger, so that lifelong, they’re into healthier eating as adults. We’ve done that with our food service also, so we’re trying to enculture that with the kids right out of the box.”

How has the commission compared to your previous service?

“Although we had a commitment to doing healthier things, we didn’t want to see it as a tremendous drop off in funding. We haven’t seen that yet, after 10 weeks we are right there with it. So, it’s a ‘win-win,’ because we have healthier options in the building and it hasn’t been at the cost of fundraising for the clubs.”

What was the student reaction?

“There was a buzz when it first started because they were new and the kids were into it. I think it appeals to kids because of the video screen on top. It’s been well received by the students--students were thanking us at the beginning for putting those things in there and making them accessible.”

What is your favorite element of the HUMAN machine?

“It’s an attractive machine and our other machines were kind of beat up. So when you come into the building and look down the hall, it’s one of the first things that you see when you enter…and it’s a nice presentation. We’ve been spending some time doing upgrades in terms of the facilities and that kind of blends right in. It’s kind of cutting edge, which appeals to kids because it’s high-tech, and they like that.”

Congratulations, Principal Wolf and the entire Orchard Park High School staff and students!

Want to hear more? Watch the entire interview:

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Top 10 Shocking Stats on Childhood Obesity

We know that the childhood obesity epidemic is constantly on the rise, but these ten statistics prove it’s way more serious than we think:

1. Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the last 30 years.

2. 70% of obese youth aged 5-17 have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

3. Children and adolescents who are obese are at a greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and poor self-esteem.

4. Almost one in four children does not participate in any free-time physical activity

5. A typical American youth spends approximately four to five hours a day watching TV, using the computer, or playing video games.

6. Children treated for obesity are roughly three times more expensive for the health care system than children of normal weight.

7. Based on USDA diet specifications, only 2% of American children have a healthy diet.

8. Overweight children miss four times more school than normal weight children.

9. One study showed that 80% of schools had at least one fast food establishment within a ten-minute walk.

10. Healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activity, can lower risk of becoming obese and developing related diseases.

*All facts sourced from Center for Disease Control and the Clinton Foundation

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Tony Robbins Uncovers the Invisible Forces Behind Motivation

Have you ever failed to achieve something significant in your life?

Chances are, you have. Failure is a part of being human. But here comes the zinger…why did you fail to achieve it?

Usually, the same old excuses come up:

“I didn’t have enough time. We just didn’t have enough money. The right technology wasn’t available.”

What do all of these excuses have in common? They all involve a lack of resources. However, the defining factor is never resources, rather, it’s resourcefulness. Resourcefulness boils down to something very simple: emotion. If we can get the right emotions, we can get ourselves to do anything. If you’re creative enough, fun enough, persuasive enough, you can get through to anybody. If you don’t have the money, but you’re creative and determined enough, you FIND a way.

Check out Tony Robbins’ TED talk:

Here’s an example of resources vs. resourcefulness, according to Robbins:

Resources

- Time
- Money
- Technology
- Contacts
- Experience
- Management

Resourcefulness

- Creativity
- Determination
- Love | Caring
- Curiosity
- Passion
- Resolve

Robbins also focuses on a powerful quote: “Decisions shape destiny.” Thus, your resourcefulness and motivation depend on the decisions you make. There are 3 decisions we make at every moment of our lives.

1) What am I going to focus on?
2) What does it mean?
3) What am I going to do?

To break this down, think of it this way. Every moment, we decide to focus on something. The minute we focus on something, we give it a meaning, and whatever that meaning is produces emotion. An emotion then creates the action. People’s emotions are what drives them. It’s the “why” factor we always talk about. Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer, but his emotions told him to keep fighting. Emotions are an immensely powerful thing that humans possess. They are not always cut and dry, but they mean more than you think when it comes to making decisions that positively (or negatively) affect your life.

According to  Robbins, two invisible forces shape our decisions. (1) State and (2) World View. Our state is what we do/feel in the moment. Our world view is the long term; it is the shaper of MEANING, EMOTION, and ACTION.

So, don’t think about making decisions in terms of what resources you DON’T have, rather; what resourcefulness you DO have. Pay attention to what emotions drive you to make decisions, and appreciate the emotions that drive other people. Don’t just think about “what” you do, think about “why” you do it.

At HUMAN Healthy Vending, we value the “why” over anything else. Our emotions are deeply rooted in this philosophy, because we truly care about what we do and have a PASSION for doing it. The “why” affects every business decision we make, and we have learned and grown because of it.

Take some time to revisit Simon Sinek’s video on “the why.” Even if you’ve already seen it, we guarantee you’ll learn just as much the second time around.

Check it out:

HUMAN Healthy Vending Featured in Los Angeles Times & ABC News

We have another exciting update for you! HUMAN was just featured in the LA Times and ABC News.

First, we were named one of Entrepreneur’s “Top 100 Brilliant Companies” in June, then one of CNN Money’s “10 Generation Next Entrepreneurs to Watch,” and now…the Los Angeles Times and ABC News.

The LA Times article describes the healthy vending trend and even explores two points of view….some believe that snacking is the overwhelming cause of obesity, and others believe that healthy vending machines can help reduce the growing pains of the obesity epidemic.

So which is it? Here at HUMAN, we know healthy vending alone won’t solve the problem. It’s all about education. The pairing of education along with healthy snacks is the first step in getting kids to eat better and understand why they need to eat better.

Not only that, but schools are now mandating healthier choices. According to the LA Times, “Over the last decade, states have taken a variety of steps to improve school nutrition policies [...] They’ve banned sodas, restricted sales of sweetened sports drinks and limited the amount of sugar and saturated fat in school snacks. Some states have set nutritional standards for food sold on campuses — in school stores, in cafeterias and even in vending machines.”

The LA Times also tells the other side of the story-the debate that snacks are still snacks. This is true, processed food is still processed food. Some nutritionists believe that there shouldn’t even be vending machines in schools.

Of course, if every child knew how to eat right, this would be utopia. But, America is a snacking society, and little changes at the beginning are meant to trigger big chances in the future. If kids are going to snack, they may as well snack right.

The mention is the LA Times isn’t even the only press we got last week…we were also featured in ABC News. The article, titled “Vending Machines Get a Makeover,” discusses the obesity epidemic and how HUMAN machines are facilitating easy access to healthful foods.

“There’s no way we’re going to snap fingers and tell an entire country to stop snacking,” said Sean Kelly, CEO of HUMAN. “That might work for six months, but it’s not sustainable. Rather than creating no benefits, we’re going to create some benefits and help people get healthier and healthier.”

Needless to say, we’re stoked for being featured in two great media sources.

Check out this behind the scenes look at the LA Times photo shoot:

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Fostering Innovation the Right Way

Docstoc’s Jason Nazar Shares His Secret

A successful Internet entrepreneur, Jason Nazar, talks about the virtues of failing fast when creating a new product or trying to do something new. Once you learn a lesson, incorporate it in your routines. ‘Don’t fail at the same thing more than once,’ he says.

Check it out:

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Walk-to-School Programs Gaining Momentum

How Saying No to the School Bus Might Be a “Step” in the Right Direction

We’ve all heard our grandparents’ stories of when they were school children.

“I had to walk a mile uphill, both ways to get to school!”

And of course, we rolled our eyes, and didn’t even think twice about the convenience of riding in a school bus to and from school. Most kids are bussed to school--with only those living very close to the school having to actually walk. Most people don’t think twice about the effect busing plays on students’ physical fitness--or lack thereof.

“Because of a ‘car-centric’ society that favors wider roads and fewer sidewalks — as well as a heightened fear of abductions by strangers — far fewer kids walk to school than was the case four decades ago. According to study authors, 42 percent of children actively commuted (walked or biked) to school in 1969-70, compared to only 13 percent in 2009″ reports Health.com.

To determine if walking to school actually promotes healthier, active lifestyles in kids who walk to school versus those who don’t, Dr. Jason Mendoza and his research team conducted a study.

The researchers split a group of 149 fourth-graders from eight schools in Houston into active commuters — those who walked to and from school up to five days a week — and a control group who were driven by bus or car. At the beginning of the study, both groups had logged similar amounts of moderate to vigorous activity, about 46 to 49 minutes per day.

But over the next five weeks, the kids who walked to school upped their activity slightly — an average of 7 extra minutes per day of moderate to vigorous exercise. In contrast, those who got driven to school actually lowered their daily activity over the study period, to an average of 41 minutes daily.

While the activity increase for walkers may seem modest, Dr. Jason Mendoza said that even small amounts of exercise are meaningful in a country with a 17 percent obesity rate for kids under age 19. About a third of adult Americans are obese, and another third are classified as overweight.

Although walk-to-school programs are uncommon, they may serve as a way to increase physical activity in children. Although walking takes more time than getting a ride on a bus or car, it may be a step in the right direction to reverse the effects of childhood obesity.

What do you think? Are walk-to-school programs a good idea?

Buffalo Bills Player, Jon Corto, and His Wife, Jen, Launch Wellness Day Event at Orchard Park Middle School

Last Tuesday was an exciting day for the Buffalo, NY area. Nearby Orchard Park Middle School hosted a Wellness Day, and celebrated with a new HUMAN Healthy Vending machine!

Buffalo Bills Safety Jon Corto and his wife, Jen, launched a sampling event during Wellness Day. Baskets of healthy snacks and drinks were provided to the students. The event couldn’t be more successful.

Even the local news stopped by for a visit. CBS affiliate WVIB featured the sampling event on the nightly news along with a news article. Jon Corto was interviewed about Orchard Park’s new vending machine, pointing out the differences between what students think healthy food tasted like and what it actually tastes like.

“You’re not getting all the processed food, the synthetic stuff, you’re getting wholesome stuff. We don’t say you can’t eat cookies, but if you’re going to eat them, be smarter about it” said Corto.

Check out the news clip:

A big focus was on the LCD screen attached to the top of the machine, which can provide nutritional information to students. The LCD screen is a fun, attractive way to teach students the importance of healthy eating, and can even encourage them to read food labels. It’s one thing to place a healthy vending machine and tell students to eat healthy; it’s another thing to educate them as to why they need to eat healthy. Starting nutritional education young is the best way to create lifelong health and wellness.

Not only that, the machine has been a smash hit at Orchard Park Middle School. According to Principal Dave Lilleck, the machine has been selling out on a daily basis.

Congrats, Jon and Jen, for such a successful event!

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What’s Wrong with What We Eat?

New York Times Food Writer, Mark Bittman, Weighs in on What’s Wrong With What We Eat

It’s no secret that we’ve got a BIG problem. With the plethora of fast food joints densely populating the country, it really is no surprise. However, this is only part of the problem.

So, what’s wrong with what we eat?

Mark Bittman, food writer for The New York Times, dives into the issue. He narrows it down to a few main points:

1) Too much meat

2) Too few plants

3) Too much fast food

4) Too little home cooking

Check out the video below to learn more about it:

Bittman makes a powerful comment--we aren’t born craving donuts and Whoppers. So why is it Americans love them so much? A lot of it has to do with marketing. It’s time to change the focus from junk to health, and it’s up to us to demand healthier products in our homes, schools, and workplaces.

This isn’t just a national issue; it’s a global issue. Our habits are putting the entire planet at risk. So where do we go from here? It’s a simple formula:

Eat less junk and more plants. Eat food. Eat real food.

Global Obesity Rates Have Doubled in the Past 30 Years

The headline says it all. Scary stuff that shows obesity isn’t just an American epidemic, it’s a global epidemic.

Everywhere you look, you hear about the world’s economic crisis. People are losing their jobs, no one can seem to sell their homes, certain industries are plummeting; from the news across the world, you would think that we are heading in a downward spiral into a black hole of debt.

But what about another BIG problem, the one that no one seems to mention? It’s one of the biggest elephants in the room, yet it seems like it’s not on the top of anyone’s mind. The obesity epidemic is hitting the world hard. Three recent studies published in The Lancet (a British medical journal) and reported in The New York Times found that worldwide obesity rates have doubled in the last three decades, even as cholesterol and blood pressure levels have fallen.

If this all happened in the last 30 years, what is in store for the future? If people continue their habits as they are now, things will only get worst, and FAST.

“Being obese is no longer a Western problem,” commented Majid Ezzati, a professor of public health at Imperial College London and an author of one of the studies.

People in the Pacific Islands, like American Samoa, are the heaviest, one of the studies found. In developed countries, Americans are the fattest and Japanese are the slimmest.

In 2008, 5% of men and 8% of women worldwide were obese. In 2008, that number had climbed to 10% of men and 14% of women. That’s 205 million obese men and 297 million obese women in 2008 alone. That’s not including the additional 1.5 billion adults who were overweight.

In America alone, the costs of obesity are surprising. The economic costs of being obese can be as much as $4,879 per year for women and $2,646 for men.

Check out the video to see the other costs you may not think of:

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HUMAN Hosts 2nd Business Building Bootcamp (HB3)

New Healthy Vending Operators Learn, Bond, and Crush It!

This past weekend, HUMAN Healthy Vending hosted its second HUMAN Business Building Bootcamp, or HB3 for short. It was a blast!

The HUMAN Team Before the Tiki Cruise

21 different operators from across the country came together in Santa Monica for some intense machine training, bonding, and fun. You could feel the positive energy building as the days progressed. Everyone, from the operators to the Santa Monica based team, was pumped up.

The event started on Thursday with an integral question: “Why are you HUMAN?” Like we always say at HUMAN, the “why” is the most important question you could ask. Every operator is HUMAN because they believe in our cause and want to help the community, and that in itself is invigorating.

All day Thursday and Friday, the new operators crushed it with machine training. Saturday was devoted to location acquisition, the other huge part of machine campaigns.

Of course, we don’t just work hard at HUMAN…we PLAY hard too. We bonded over dinner on Thursday night, got our blood pumping on a morning Friday run, set sail on a tropical Tiki cruise Friday eventing, and embarked on a leisurely Santa Monica bike ride Saturday morning.

Thanks for making HB3 Round 2 such an amazing experience. Stay tuned for the next one coming in the next 4-6 weeks!

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Creating Healthier Communities, One Child at a Time

How NutritionWise is Helping in the Fight Against Obesity

We all know how important it is to eat healthy, but not everyone lives by such advice. Being healthy isn’t just about eating right, it’s knowing why you need to eat right. Also, physical activity and a healthy mind are all part of being healthy.

Knowledge is power, but it’s powerless until it’s used. It’s one thing to put healthy food in front of someone and expect them to eat it. It’s another thing to educate them as to why they should eat it.

Nicole Meadow of NutritionWise

One LA-based company, NutritionWise, is helping educate children about healthy lifestyles. NutritionWise is a private nutrition consulting practice of Nicole Meadow, MPN, RD, that provides a lot of different services. NutritionWise’s main purpose is simple, yet so powerful: For children and families to know how and why to make healthy choices.

We were able to talk to Nicole about her experience as a registered dietician and founder of NutritionWise. Check it out:

What are some of the services NutritionWise offers?

Being an independent nutritional consulting firm, we do a LOT of different things. We provide 1-on-1 private nutrition consulting for children who are underweight and overweight. We also give lectures in schools, work in day cares, etc.

What got you involved in nutrition?

My father and stepfather had two different health scares--heart disease and cancer. They weren’t given much time to live, and they changed their nutritional habits 180 degrees. They outlived their life expectancies by a long shot, and it really got me motivated in nutrition. I was Pre-Med and switched my focus to becoming a dietician.

What is your main motivation behind NutritionWise?

I am extremely passionate about working with underprivileged children, and I’m passionate about nutrition. Those two things combined are my driving force behind what I do.

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NutritionWise is helping in the fight against obesity by educating children and families about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Nutrition isn’t just about the here and now, it’s a lifelong commitment. Just like HUMAN Healthy Vending, we know how important it is to educate and increase access to healthy food. Healthy vending is one way to bring health and nutrition to people, but it isn’t the only way. Consulting firms like NutritionWise are essential to making sure everyone realizes the importance of health and wellness.

Here’s to good health and happiness!

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TED Talk Reveals How Great Leaders Inspire Action

How do we explain how others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all assumptions?

A TED talk featuring Simon Sinek explores this question. Why is it that Apple continues to become more innovative year after year, when it is just a computer company with the same access to consultants, technology, and other resources as everyone else? Why did the Wright Brothers figure out human flight, when there were other people who were better qualified and better funded?

Check it out:

Sinek discovered that all great organizations and leaders follow the exact same pattern. They all think and act the same way…and it’s the complete opposite of everyone else.

The pattern is simple, but it explains why some organizations are able to become excellent leaders who are able to inspire. The idea is called “The Golden Circle,” and it looks something like this:

Every organization knows what they do. Some know how they do it (e.g. differentiating value proposition). Very few know why they do what they do. What’s your call? What’s your purpose? What’s your belief?

“Why” is the one word that sets apart an organization that inspires others from your average organization. It’s also the most difficult to understand. Most people think from the outside in--from the clearest to the fuzziest. However, the leaders who inspire--no matter the size of their organization--think from the inside out.

Sinek mentions a powerful phrase: “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

The goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe.

At HUMAN, the “why” is the most important part of our business. It’s more important than what we do or how we do it. We always say “we are a health and nutrition company with a vending problem.” Vending is how we do it, but it isn’t why we do it. Our goal is to create universal access to healthy foods, drinks, and snacks, and we give 10% of our proceeds to charities that help this cause because we believe in this mission.

Healthy vending has been such a success because all of our operators, locations, and customers believe in what we do.

No matter what you do, ask yourself “why am I doing this?” The answer might not be as clear as you think, but when you know it, you know it.

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A Day in the Life of a HUMAN Healthy Vending Team Member

How HUMAN’s Operations Manager Crushes It, Day In and Day Out

Although we’ve talked a lot about what we do from the outside, never before have we shown our readers an inside-look at HUMAN from the perspective of our team members.

A lot goes on behind the scenes here, and we have a lot of different “departments.” From sales and marketing to the actual machine installations themselves, there is a lot that goes into the daily happenings at HUMAN. Our Operations Manager, Patrick Sanders, gives us a rundown of his day and his responsibilities at HUMAN.

1. What’s your routine like after you wake up?

The very first thing I do is chug an enormous glass of water. I’ve found that that wakes me up faster than anything else. Then I go for a run outside to get my blood flowing.

2. What’s the first thing you do when you get to work?

I do the thing that I dread doing the most first, which is my highest leverage activity. For example, if there’s a tough conversation I need to have with someone, I get it out of the way first.

3. What kinds of projects do you handle?

I handle planning all logistics (including machine delivery and installations) for HUMAN, managing customer service, planning out our manufacturing process, ordering parts, etc. If it’s behind the scenes, chances are I handle it!

4. What do you enjoy most about your job?

The best part about my job is working with people who are passionate about what they do. Everyone here puts in 110% and believes in what HUMAN does. We’re a close-knit team…basically, it’s like going to work with my friends.

5. How do you exemplify “Crushing It?”

I crush it by managing complexity…wearing a wide variety of hats and dealing with challenges that make every day different. I’m also very customer facing, which I LOVE!

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HUMAN Healthy Vending Hosts First-Ever Business Building Bootcamp

This past week was anything but average for our new operators.

The HUMAN Business Building Bootcamp (HB3) Crew

Twenty-five healthy vending operators from 13 different states and Puerto Rico came together to experience their first-ever HUMAN Business Building Bootcamp (HB3). Let us tell you, it was better than anyone could have imagined! It was an eye-opening, rewarding experience for all attendees (including us!).

Check out the highlights:

What Went Down

The 3-day event featured a variety of activities, from morning fitness activities like yoga on the beach to business optimization and machine training sessions. A Q&A session with one of our successful vending operators, Roeh Kfir (also July’s Operator of the Month) helped our new operators better understand the ins and outs of the business.

Of course, this weekend was more than just all work and no play. We bonded over good food and nights out on the town, and even set sail on an exotic tiki boat cruise!

Here are some sweet things our new operators were able to do at HB3:

- Receive optimal training & instruction on the HUMAN machines
- Hang-out with a bunch of other HUMAN operators (their new family)
- Become a HUMAN Location Discovery & Acquisition (LDA) All-Star
- Meet the HUMAN corporate team & check-out our California digs
- Learn how to optimize their business now & in the future
- Have a whole ton of fun!

So, from all of us here at HUMAN, thank you for making our inaugural HB3 such a success! We’re now doing HB3 training every 4-6 weeks.  Stay tuned for the next one.

Sean & Andy

Co-Founders, HUMAN Healthy Vending

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Hunger Pains and Weight Gain

Video Reveals Hunger + Obesity = 1 Global Food Issue

Ellen Gustafson explains a shocking irony when it comes to food. How is it that so many of the world’s population is starving, while a huge portion of people are also obese? 1 billion people are starving, and 1 billion people are overweight. Interesting contradiction, huh?

America is perhaps the biggest oxymoron of any country. 6% of Americans are hungry, while a staggering 33% of children and 67% of adults are overweight or obese.

That being said, obesity + hunger = 1 big global food issue.

Check out Gustafson’s TED Talk on the issue:

Here at HUMAN, we are tackling this issue by placing 100% healthy vending machines across the country. Our goal is to provide universal access to healthy snacks and foods. We also contribute to stomping out the obesity epidemic by donating 10% of all proceeds to charities that support the fight against obesity and malnutrition.

The facts don’t lie. We are in a domestic AND international food crisis.

Do you know of other ways to rid the world of hunger and obesity? Leave us a comment and let us know!

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Recently, H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending‘s Chief Humanist, Sean Kelly, delivered a presentation to The Whole Grains Council on how to dominate the vending business. The “vending” industry as we know it is changing, with state-of-the-art, innovative, healthy vending machines taking over those old, clunky, junk food machines. This innovation is key to success in the new and improved “automated retail” industry. Automated retail is a gold mine for making whole grains more convenient and accessible. Goodbye traditional vending. Welcome to Vending 3.0.

Click here for the PDF version of our Whole Grains Council presentation.

WARNING: THIS PRODUCT MAY HAVE BEEN PROCESSED IN A FACTORY CONTAINING NUTS

You Are Entering a Nut Free Zone

Don’t you just hate food allergies? They can range from skin irritation to constricting your blood vessels. This can be especially tough on those with reactions to nuts. A majority of the snacks out there are usually processed in a building where nuts come into close proximity and can’t be guaranteed not to be cross-contaminated with each other, making it more dangerous for the nut-allergic.

Fortunately, there are nut free snacks out there to satisfy the appetites of those who can’t munch on their nutty counterparts. Not only are the following snacks nut free, they’re actually healthier for you as well. Even if you don’t have nut allergies, with these simple swaps, you can enjoy the same great taste as the regulars without having to worry about allergies or your waistline.

Don’t Snicker at Doodles

Let’s start off with the “Om-nom-nom Monster of Snacks,” cookies. Originally created in the 7^th Century, it can be defined as a “thin, sweet, usually small cake.” In fact, cookies have many multi-national names such as biscuits, galletas, and biscottis to name a few. And one such cookie would be the always lovable snickerdoodle.

Mrs. Fields Snickerdoodle Cookie

Cinnamon and Sugar Swirled Into Every Bite

Calories: 120

Calories from Fat: 45

Total Fat: 5 g

Saturated Fat: 2.5 g

Total Carbohydrate: 17 g

Sugars: 9 g

Protein: 1 g

Enjoy Life Soft Baked Snickdoodle Cookies

Nut and Gluten Free, Yet Just as Delicious

Calories 130

Calories from Fat 40

Total Fat 4.5g

Saturated Fat 0g

Total Carbohydrates: 21g

Sugars 14g

Protein 1g

Snickerdoodles are sugar cookies that have been rolled in cinnamon sugar. Mrs. Fields is well known for its cookies having a soft, moist texture. Unlike most home-baked cookies that harden overnight, their cookies tend to stay soft, giving that “fresh out of the oven” taste (especially if they’re warmed up).

Unfortunately, this doesn’t bode well for those with nut allergies. These cookies are manufactured in factories where nuts are used and can sometimes be cross-contaminated without anyone knowing. Imagine biting into what seems like a harmless sugar cookie, only for the allergies to break out without warning. Fortunately, there happens to be a snickerdoodle that doesn’t have that problem.

Enjoy Life Soft Baked Snickerdoodles seem to be slightly smaller, but they’re thicker, giving a much more satisfying texture. Although the Nutritional Facts don’t seem that much of a difference to its Mrs. Fields counterpart, keep in mind that the Serving Size is TWO cookies. Plus, it has less fat and no Saturated Fat, which is always a good thing if you want to avoid the childhood obesity epidemic.

Chips Off The Old Cookie

For those of you who like chocolate chips, you’re probably familiar with many cookie companies such as Chips Ahoy or Famous Amos. Created in the 1930s, chocolate chip cookies were created at the Toll House inn by Ruth Wakefield being supplied with chocolate from Andrew Nestle. You might know someone who you’d like to share cookies with (because it’s a sharing type of food after all), but they’re probably allergic to one of their many ingredients.

Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies

Small Cookies, Sweet Package

Calories 150

Calories from Fat 60

Total Fat 7 g

Saturated Fat 3 g

Total Carbohydrates 20 g

Sugars 9 g

Protein 1 g

Enjoy Life Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies

Delicious, Gluten and Nut Free

Calories 130

Calories from Fat 45

Total Fat 5 g

Saturated Fat 1 g

Total Carbohydrates: 21 g

Sugars 12g

Protein 1 g

The Famous Amos cookies contain Eggs, Milk, Soy and Wheat, perfect for most people, a bad product line for those with food allergies. Their cookies are created in places that have nuts in them, so they’re not the most ideal company to purchase from.

You’re probably wondering how a cookie with chocolate chips not have the dairy that comes in milk chocolate. Fortunately, Enjoy Life uses non-allergic ingredients in every single product, including the use of Non-Dairy Cocoa Butter for its chocolate.

Enjoy Life, Not Planters

Trail Mix can be seen as the best, portable hiking and mountaineering food ever created. After all, whether you’re traveling across great distances or just working your body to the absolute limit, nothing beats having food on hand to stoke your metabolism. The origin of trail mix is disputed between 1958 and 1968. Unfortunately, most trail mixes include nuts which leave the nut-sensitive scrambling for options.

Planters Trail Mix, Nuts and Chocolate

Definitely Not a Nut Free Product

Calories 150

Calories from Fat 80

Total Fat 9g

Saturated Fat 2.5g

Total Carbohydrates 14 g

Sugars 12 g

Protein 4 g

Enjoy Life not nuts! Mountain Mambo Nut Free Trail Mix

Seeds Instead of Nuts Make This Just as Satisfying

Calories 140

Calories from Fat 80

Total Fat 8 g

Saturated Fat 1.5 g

Total Carbohydrates 12 g

Sugars 9 g

Protein 5g

Fortunately, Enjoy Life’s Nut Free Trail Mix delivers that option with open arms, matching and even surpassing Planters Trail Mix. It also delivers an extra 4% of Protein and less Sugar.

You’re probably wondering how can it be trail mix if it doesn’t have nuts? The nuts are replaced with sunflower and pumpkin seeds which are still just as enjoyable and have slightly more fiber than the nuts in Planters. Plus, the chocolate chips are created with Non-Dairy Cocoa Butter, which makes this trail mix perfect for dairy-sensitive people as well.

Beware of Nuts After Dark

Who doesn’t enjoy chocolate? Believe it or not, dark chocolate has many beneficial properties such as lowering blood pressure and decreasing risks of heart disease. In fact, the closer chocolate is to pure cocoa, the more healthier it is. Now if only companies would stop adding sugar to them, they’d actually be considered a health food.

Dove Dark Chocolate Bar

Yes, It Contains Traces of Almonds

Calories 210

Calories from Fat 120

Total Fat 14 g

Saturated Fat 7 g

Total Carbohydrates 21 g

Sugars 17 g

Protein 3g

Enjoy Life Boom Choco Boom Dark Chocolate Bar

With Only Three Ingredients, This is as Healthy as You Can Get

Calories 200

Calories from Fat 130

Total Fat 15 g

Saturated Fat 9 g

Total Carbohydrates 22 g

Sugars 17 g

Protein 2g

You’d probably be surprised that Dove’s Dark Chocolate contains almonds. Not a good thing if you’re nut-sensitive. It also contains lactose, if you’re dairy sensitive. Fortunately, Enjoy Life’s Boom Choco Boom Dark Chocolate Bar has the advantage of containing only THREE ingredients. Seriously, it only has Evaporated Cane Juice, Natural Non-Alcoholic Chocolate Liquor, and Non-Dairy Cocoa Butter.

Something to take to heart, the fewer the ingredients, the more likely it’s healthier as it means that it hasn’t gone through too much processing. The more processed something is, the less likely it still retains any nutritional benefits that the ingredients are known for.

Insert Corny, Not Nutty Joke Here

If you haven’t gotten nuts from the overuse of the word “nut” yet, then congratulations. And if you’re tired of seeing the word “nut,” you still might want to stick around for more snacks that don’t involve N-U-T-S.

Now Corn Nuts aren’t really nuts at all. They are actually corn kernels deep-fried in oil. Originally created by Albert Holloway in 1936, these “nuts” were originally named “Brown Just Toasted Corn.” However, it’s this oil that makes this snack actually more dangerous than it lets on.

Corn Nuts Ranch

Contains Trans Fat, But That's a Secret

Calories 130

Calories from Fat 40

Total Fat 5 g

Saturated Fat 1 g

Total Carbohydrates 19 g

Sugars 0 g

Protein 3 g

We’re Not Nuts – Cool Ranch Toasted Corn

Healthier Than Your Average Corn Nut

Calories 100

Calories from Fat 20

Total Fat 2 g

Saturated Fat 0.3 g

Total Carbohydrates 20 g

Sugars 1 g

Protein 3 g

The We’re Not Nuts contains more corn than the regular Corn Nuts. It has a lower Fat content and unlike the Corn Nuts which contains “Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and/or Canola Oil” (aka Trans Fat), We’re Not Nuts contains “Non-Hydrogenated Sunflower Oil.”

Thanks to a FDA loophole, companies are allowed to claim their products as Trans Fat-free if the content contains less than 0.5 g. Of course, many companies take advantage of that loophole and Trans Fat happens to be one of the causes of heart disease and childhood obesity. That’s why when it comes to Trans Fat, don’t trust the Nutritional Facts and read the Ingredients List. If it says “Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil,” avoid it like the plague. This is true whether you have allergies or not. You don’t need heart plaque to constrict your arteries.

Cheesy and Dangerous

Like the trial mix, the origin of cheese puffs is disputed, but agreed that they were created in the late 1930s. When you think cheese puffs, the first brand that comes to mind is probably Cheetos. After all, they seem to have popularized the entire franchise with Chester Cheetah (replacing the Cheetos Mouse) and continues to be famous to this day. But something that tastes this good can’t possibly be bad for you, right?

Cheetos Puffs

Dangerously Cheesy, Emphasis on "Dangerous"

Calories 160

Calories from Fat 90

Total Fat 10 g

Saturated Fat 1.5 g

Total Carbohydrates 15 g

Sugars 1 g

Protein 2 g

Pirate’s Booty, Aged White Cheddar

Taste The Delicious Booty!

Calories 130

Calories from Fat 45

Total Fat 5 g

Saturated Fat 1

Total Carbohydrates 19 g

Sugars 0 g

Protein 2 g

Here’s a case of a no-brainer. Yes, Cheetos can be addicting. But they don’t call it “Dangerously Cheesy” for nothing. Compare this with its healthier counterpart below. Not only is it dominated in almost every category in the Nutrition Facts, but it leaves off one important fact: it contains Trans Fat. It states that it doesn’t, but just like the corn nuts, the Ingredients list Partially Hydrogenated Soybean/Canola Oil. Once again, the FDA loophole comes into effect and the 0.49 Trans Fat is subtly hidden from consumers.

Granted, Pirate’s Booty pieces seem much smaller, but do you really want to risk all that Trans Fat clogging up your heart and raising your blood pressure?

Allergies Can’t Hold You Back Any Longer

It should come as no surprise that every popular snack brand has a delicious, nut free counterpart. However, the Enjoy Life line of products are guaranteed to be allergy free! All of their ingredients have no gluten, dairy, nut, soy, egg or casein, giving those sensitive to certain foods more options to snack on. They’re also “school-safe,” which means that they can be enjoyed by virtually anyone.

Kettle Brand Chips are also a great alternative for those who like to snack on potato chips, but have gluten or nut allergies. However, it’s highly recommended to avoid Back to Nature products. Although healthy, they have many products containing nuts, so it’s not a good idea to have them.

You might be thinking to yourself, “Where exactly can you get these delicious and consumer-sensitive snacks?” It’s true that they’re not widely available in regular vending machines, so it can be tough to find foods that won’t cause your body to start reacting violently.

Fortunately, all of these nut free snacks can be found in our healthy vending machines. They make a great addition to any school looking for vending machines that can be available for students whether they have food allergies or not. Those interested in taking the next step for a healthier student body may contact us for a personalized, nut free offering. We’ll work together to customize your vending experience and make snack favorites more available than ever.