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7 Leadership Lessons to Live By

August 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

7 Leadership Lessons from an NBA Coach

New Jersey Nets Coach Avery Johnson Shares Lessons by Which to Lead, Learn, and Live

In every high school, there are motivational posters scattered along the walls to remind us to live by certain core values. We all know them well–the poster with the words “LEADERSHIP” with an image of a four star general and an inspirational quote underneath.

However, great leaders do not have to be decorated soldiers in the military or the President of the United States. Great leaders are everywhere you look.

But here comes the great debate: Are people born leaders, or can leaders be “made?” The old “nature” vs. “nurture” debate has been around for centuries and still hasn’t been resolved.

I think it’s safe to say that perhaps becoming a leader requires a little bit of both. You can never have too much advice from an already-established leader.

In a recent article in Inc., NBA Coach Avery Johnson provided us with his Top 7 Leadership Lessons. Coach Johnson won “NBA Coach of the Year” after his first full season (2005-2006) as head coach. Even before he became a coach and was still a player for the San Antonio Spurs, he was nicknamed “Little General” for his leadership skills.

“Bringing a unique perspective as a leader has been important for Johnson throughout his career, and particularly when he took over for a Nets team that had won only 12 games in the previous season” said Inc. “He considers the qualities of being a good leader in the NBA very similar to those necessary for succeeding in the business world.”

Whether you’re leading an NBA team or a small business, these 7 Leadership Lessons will always make the cut:

1. Cultivate Relationships to Build a Winning Culture

If there is one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that relationships are extremely important. I really cannot stress this enough. Building relationships not only involves your customers/clients, it extends to everyone you come in contact with. You can’t go into a business with all new ideas and expect your employees to change at the drop of a hat. It takes building relationships to create a successful company culture. Not doing this properly will result in HUGE ramifications.

Once your employees understand you and your mission, you’re in for a smooth ride.

2. Know When to Push Your Employees

I’m a big fan of pushing my team to reach its full potential. Once you really know your employees, figure out which buttons to push to make them challenge themselves. That’s the way we learn, by stepping out of our comfort zone. People will make mistakes, but they will learn from them. Your employees will feel a greater sense of purpose and will feel like they are an essential part of the team.

3. Respect is Key

This one is true for anything. People have to respect you before you can lead them. Respect is built from your background as well as how you manage situations. Being too lenient could mean your employees don’t take you seriously. Being too harsh could mean your employees begin to resent you and don’t put in 100%. There is a fine line between these two, but once it’s established, you’re golden.

4. Discover Your Different Voices

According to Coach Johnson, you need “a teaching voice, a disciplinary voice, an angry voice, a loving voice, and an incensed voice [...] Having those different voices that you have to have and knowing when to apply which one at what time, and with which employee, is so important.”

This piece of advice couldn’t be closer to the truth. Leadership is all about balance. Every employee is different, so it’s a difficult skill to determine which voice to use on which employee at which time. You have to know when to be angry, supportive, disciplinary, etc. Master that and you are already way ahead of the game.

5. Address Challenges Before They Arise

Preparing yourself, as well as your team, for future challenges is key to success. Forward thinking is a necessity in any successful sports team, business, or anything else! You can’t just jump into things without thinking them through. Know every angle of your business and everything that could go wrong.

Uncertainty does not always have to be feared if you prepare for the good and the bad.

6. The Six C’s of Good Leaders

  • Great Communication
  • Strong Character
  • Competitive Drive
  • Consistency in the Way You Lead
  • Compassion
  • Confidence

What you do on the court parallels what you do off of it. Having those 6 C’s is fundamental to solid leadership. Keep the lines of communication open, but to a minimum to maintain efficiency. Have character and show an example to others. Always have the competitive advantage and be on a mission to win it. Always be consistent in the way you lead, that way others know what to expect and mixed messages aren’t sent. Have compassion for others, especially your employees and customers, because it will build trust. And lastly, have confidence. Confidence is key and can make or break any leader.

7. Focus on Small Victories, Not Just Big Wins

Make it a point to focus on details and small victories. If you don’t recognize any achievement until you’ve won the championship, something’s off. Recognize your employees for their hard work. Let them know you noticed. It will make them feel appreciated and they will always go above and beyond when completing tasks.

A little goes a long way.

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The Lunch Line, Revolutionized

How One Company is Innovating School Lunches and Attacking the Obesity Epidemic

I can remember the meals offered in my school lunch program. The gems that come to mind are unappealing lasagna, frozen chicken nuggets, and cheese sticks with a pouch of sugary juice.

Just thinking about it makes me shudder!

One socially responsible company is revolutionizing schools by innovating their lunch programs. Oakland, California based Revolution Foods provides low-income schools and students with access to nutritious and delicious foods. According to an article in Inc., the company has already served over 400 schools across California and has expanded to Washington D.C., Newark, and Houston.

Health aides: Revolution Foods Co-founders Kirsten Tobey and Kristin Richmond

Too many schools cannot afford healthy school lunches, so Revolution Foods co-founders Kirsten Tobey and Kristin Richmond lent a helping hand. Both have a passion for food, and recognized a huge disconnect between nutritional education and the foods kids eat.

The National School Lunch Program’s reimbursement rate is a challenge, since Revolution Foods only has $3 to work with to put together a nutritionally balanced meal. There is now greater momentum bringing higher reimbursement levels to low-income kids, but it’s not enough to make health and nutrition universally accessible.

Just like Revolution Foods, that’s our mission to the core: to make healthy foods universally accessible by offering healthy snacks and drinks and nutritional information along the way.

Way to go Revolution Foods! Thanks to you, we are all one step closer to eliminating childhood obesity.

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Filed Under: CRUSH IT REPORT, Entrepreneurship, Health & Nutrition

Healthy Vending Machines: The Future of the Healthy Vending Industry

May 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: H.U.M.A.N., Health & Nutrition, Healthy Vending Machines

New USDA Guideline Overview

February 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Another Half Decade Come and Gone

Give them credit, but it's not always clear what the message is...

Many people aren’t aware, but every five years, the USDA revises their dietary guidelines for the American public and it couldn’t have come at a more critical time. Considering the childhood obesity epidemic and the current lifestyles many of us lead, the average person barely has the time and discipline to maintain a healthy weight and body mass index.

Because of this, the Child Nutrition Act and Let’s Move campaigns were created, causing people to begin being mindful of what they eat. However, since the fight for health is a steep uphill battle, the USDA has made some new suggestions to fit in with the average American’s schedule. Although there are people out there that will most likely ignore nutrition altogether, the rest of you should take heed if you want to live to see your grandkids, let alone the next generation grow into healthier adults.

Based on the most updated research, the USDA has based the guidelines over two particular concepts that emerged over these new recommendations.

Maintain Calorie Balance to Achieve and Sustain a Healthy Weight

The right caloric balance will keep you living.

If you’ve had any experience in trying to lose or gain weight, you’re most likely familiar with the calorie equation (calories in – calories out = weight gain/loss).

For most of us, that equation usually ends up being the psychological killer of dieting. After all, you can spend 30 minutes at a gym to burn off 300 calories and end up consuming that same amount or more within a period of ten seconds.

The USDA recommends that to lower the obesity rate and improve the nation’s overall health, Americans need to cut back on the total calories consumed (i.e. eating nutrient-dense foods) and increase the calories burned through physical activity (i.e. keep moving).

Easier said than done, right? The suggestions of using the stairs instead of an elevator or to stop drinking sodas are steps in the right direction.

However, that’s only the beginning. Considering that obesity has tripled over the years, if you’re already overweight, chances are that you’ll have a hard time incorporating healthier options into your lifestyle.

Many factors determine your calorie intake range, including your age, gender, body fat composition, genetics and daily physical activity. The “average” adolescent and adult should maintain a 2,000-2,500 calorie limit for females and males respectively. Children usually need more due to their higher metabolic, or calorie burning capability, rate.
At the same time, you don’t want to starve yourself either.

Think of your body as an organic piece of technology. For it to run, it needs fuel. If you don’t get enough, the systems malfunction and you end up with more problems than you began. Not to mention the fact that if you try to exercise on empty, your body begins to burn through your lean muscle, NOT your fat storage.

The opposite is true. If you overload your body with more fuel than it needs, the system begins storing the excess as fat tissue, hence the obesity epidemic.

Focus on nutrient-dense foods and beverages

Fruits and veggies are low-calorie, but nutrient-dense.

All of these calories can be broken down into what are called “macronutrients” or “nutrients your body needs to survive;” these macronutrients are carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates tend to make up most of the calories within food. There are two types of carbs: simple and complex.

Simple carbohydrates are natural and unprocessed, such as the lactose in milk, fructose in fruit or the fiber and starches in grains and vegetables.

Complex carbs are the added artificial ingredients such as table sugar and the infamously popular high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Most people get enough carbohydrates as is, but the problem is that they tend to overconsume them with the unnecessary added sugars within the foods they eat.

The USDA makes it clear that these added ingredients should be cut back on. Instead, try fulfilling your diet with fiber from fruits and vegetables or 100% whole wheat breads.

Reduce your sodium intake as well. Both added sugars and sodium tend to hinder your body’s ability to burn off fat as energy.

Protein

Proteins are essential to a healthy diet, but it’s rare that someone would have a deficiency. This is due to the animal-based proteins in meat, poultry, eggs and milk and the plant-based proteins in beans, peas, nuts, seeds and soy products.

In fact, proteins are necessary for rebuilding muscle fibers that are constantly being worked out. In other words, they increase a body’s healing factor.

If you take part in aerobic activity, your body will start drawing on protein stores for energy and diminish the burning of body fat. This is why you need enough protein to keep your body from eating up lean muscle. If you don’t take part in physical activity, the protein is still important, but won’t be doing you much good other than maintaining muscle.

Fats

Fats are also necessary because your body still uses it for chemical reactions. Unfortunately, this is also one of the main concerns of the general public. The USDA guidelines make it clear that fat itself isn’t the cause; it’s the types of fat that people should be concerned about.

Saturated fat is bad. It has no benefits in a healthy diet whatsoever. Cut back on those as much as possible. They’re mainly used in those thick, creamy sauces you use to give foods a cheesy, salty or velvety texture.

Mono and polyunsaturated fats are good. These occur naturally in nuts, but only the unprocessed ones.

Trans fat is the worst. Even though the USDA guidelines state that they should be consumed sparingly (2 grams maximum daily), you’d be better off avoiding it as much as possible. The problem is that even if it makes food companies happy due to cheaper processing costs, there’s nothing beneficial coming from trans fat. Its sole purpose is to clog your arteries.

Due to the FDA loophole of not claiming trans fat if there’s under 0.5 g, DON’T rely on the Nutritional Label for this statistic. Read the Ingredients List. If you see any form of the words “Hydrogenated Oil,” there’s trans fat lurking within. Not being upfront about that ingredient should question your loyalty to that brand.
The USDA guidelines also state that alcohol should be consumed sparingly, if at all. They rarely provide nutrients and end up being a source of empty calories (Hence the term “beer gut”).

USDA Guidelines Summary

Integrate the new guidelines into your lifestyle to live longer!

To control the total calorie intake and manage body weight, increase your intake of 100% whole grains, vegetables and fruit. They take up space in your stomach with natural dietary fiber and keep you full longer. Plus, they give your body the nutrients necessary for your body to function.

Reduce your intake of sugar-sweetened beverages. They provide additional calories with no nutritional benefits. Diet sodas don’t count as they still train the tongue to crave additional sugars in other foods. For best results, try the magical all-natural, weight-loss potion of water sweetened with organic fruits such as lime or apple slices.

Monitor the intake of 100% fruit juice for children and adolescents, especially those who are overweight or obese. Although there is nothing wrong with 100% juice, make sure that the juice has at least the highest volume by checking the Ingredients List which is ordered by greatest to least. It wouldn’t do much good if a product that claims 100% cranberry “juice” ends up being made with a majority of other “juices” that were added to make processing cheaper, leaving cranberries as a secondary ingredient.

Monitor calorie intake from alcoholic beverages for adults. Moderate drinking isn’t associated with weight gain, but heavy consumption is. One example is that drinking two glasses of wine has nutritional benefits, but any more than that reverse those benefits. Since alcohol tends to be consumed in mixtures with other drinks, they add extra calories with no nutritional benefits. Cut back on the alcohol and you cut back on the calories.

The USDA guidelines have more in-depth information, but the above is the main message that they want to get out to the American public. Obesity is a problem and unless people begin to take care of not only their bodies but their offspring’s, the life expectancy will keep dropping and the premature deaths will keep climbing.

Find the balance. Our future depends on it.

Filed Under: ADVICE & EDUCATION, Health & Nutrition, Lifestyle Tagged With: , , , ,

Nut Free Snacks Nightmare: 5 Deadly Snacks to Avoid (And Substitutes)

January 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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 7th 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.

Filed Under: ADVICE & EDUCATION, Health & Nutrition, HEALTHY VENDING, Healthy Vending Products Tagged With: , , , ,

Former President Clinton Honors Elementary School For Childhood Obesity Prevention

January 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Healthy Kids Equal Smarter Kids

Congratulations to NEMS!

Northeast Elementary Magnet School in Danville, Illinois recently won the recognition of former president Bill Clinton for its efforts to reduce childhood obesity by extending physical education time during the school day and encouraging families to get moving in the evenings. They also have started offering fresher fare for meals and installed a climbing wall in the gymnasium for students to use.

Less than a month ago, current President Barack Obama signed the Child Nutrition Act into law, which will hopefully help more schools make these kinds of healthy changes. The law provides for more funding for schools and higher nutritional standards. Another part of the federal government’s initiative to promote healthier childhood includes more incentives for schools that compete in the Healthier U.S. School Challenge (HUSSC), established in 2004. Now, through Michelle Obama’s spearheading of the Let’s Move campaign, schools can earn up to $2000 for demonstrating to HUSSC their commitment to excellence in nutrition and physical fitness throughout the school day. Let’s Move’s goal is to see the number of HUSSC schools double by June 2011 and continue adding 1000 more schools per year to that number in the future.

What Could Be Better Than Eating With Friends?

Although difficult, participating in HUSSC is well worth the effort. One or two passionate school employees or community members can get the ball rolling. The menu criteria provided on the application may seem daunting when compared with what is actually served, but making gradual changes over time can revolutionize children’s health. Whole grain, dry bean & pea, and fruit & vegetable quotas, as well as the analysis of how the lunch line actually works, helps schools develop a clear vision of where they need to go. The research has been done, which leaves us with no excuse to serve the same old junk food. It’s time to take steps for a healthier U.S. and a healthier generation of kids.

Filed Under: ADVICE & EDUCATION, Health & Nutrition Tagged With: , ,

How To Find Real Food At The Supermarket

January 12, 2011 By 1 Comment

It’s A Jungle Out There….A Plastic, Artificial Jungle

One of our operators sent us this and I thought it would be appropriate to post it.  It comes from Summer Tomato, a healthy lifestyle blog.  Although it is meant to be a little bit over the top, it does resonate with anyone who shops consistently.  Finding “real food” is more difficult than it has ever been, and if the closest grocer near you is a convenience store….well then it might be impossible.

Here is your guide to finding real food in the supermarket:

Finding Real Food

Finding Real Food....

Good luck!  ;)

Filed Under: ADVICE & EDUCATION, Health & Nutrition, Lifestyle Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

7 Deadly Snacks Your Kids Are Eating From School Vending Machines

January 5, 2011 By 6 Comments

Not Your Typical School Drama

“That isn’t lunch!” I couldn’t help but holler as the fourth girl came into my room with a slushy and a cookie.  As a former middle school teacher and a health conscious individual, I trembled at the items I saw students eating every day at lunch.  Many of my fifth grade girls would skip the school lunch program (which has enough nutritional trouble of its own) and go straight to the snack bar or vending machine. Ostensibly, this was so they would eat less and not gain weight. However, they obviously had no idea what kind of food would do their body good and thus usually made terrible decisions. Cinnamon twists. Push-ups. Root beer. Chocolate muffins. And they really had no idea. “This is healthy, isn’t it, Ms. Flaherty?” they would ask me innocently.  They wanted to eat good lunches; they simply didn’t know how.  They didn’t even know they didn’t know. Needless to say, we had a few nutrition lessons in English class that year, and I want to spread some of those lessons to the wider public.  Ask your child what they eat at school, and help them make better decisions by educating them and yourself about what is beneficial. If your school has no healthy options, something has to change!

The terrors of school vending machines are not limited to these seven snacks, but hopefully this will teach you what to look for and get you thinking about new options. Healthy snacks aren’t just carrot sticks in a Ziploc anymore; they give the old junk a run for its money in taste and fun.  I’ll compare the calories, fat grams, carbs, sugars, and protein for each treat.

Bad Cheetos, Good Pirates

Burning Tongue? More Like Burning Your Wallet

Let’s start with my fourth graders’ favorite snack: Flamin’ Hot Crunchy Cheetos. Now, a serving size of Cheetos is 1 oz, but who eats less than the whole bag?  Vending machine bag size is 2 oz, but I’ve seen students bring the 8 oz version and chow half to all of it, with a few handfuls given out to friends. Here are the stats for 2 oz; you can do the math for the rest.

Calories: 340

From fat: 200

Total fat: 22 g

Carbs: 30

Sugar: 0

Protein: 2 g

The killer here is the fat: 58.8% of the calories in this food are from fat. Although the bag boasts “Og Trans Fat,” there is still plenty of the other kinds to do damage.

Puffing Never Tasted So Good

To still get that cheesy crunch, consider trying Pirate’s Booty ® natural snack products. For this comparison, we’ll use the Aged White Cheddar crisped corn puffs. Along with having all natural ingredients and being sold in a 1 oz package (to encourage moderation), these don’t pack nearly the junk punch that Cheetos do.  I’ve put what 2 oz looks like in parenthesis to make comparing easier.

Calories:  130 (260)

From fat: 45 (90 – less than half!)

Total fat: 5g (10g – less than half!)

Carbs: 19g (38g)

Sugars: 0g

Protein: 2g (4g)

Not only do the calories from fat decrease from 58.8% to 34.6%, but the protein also doubles.  Eating protein with carbohydrates helps keep you fuller longer and less likely to experience a short-lived sugar spike, so it’s always a good idea.

Bad Suzy Q, Good Brownie Bar

Want Diabetes?

If salty isn’t your craving, you might turn instead to one of the ubiquitous cake, cream, and frosting creations that populate the shelves of every place convenience snacks are found. Whether its rolled, round, striped, or spotted, beware!  The high sugar, high-refined flour and total absence of substance will lead to a quick high and a hard crash. One Suzy Q Hostess Chocolate Cake with Cream Filling is a good example.

Calories: 230

From fat: 81

Total fat: 9g

Carbs: 35g

Sugar: 22g

Protein: 2g

Indulge Your Sweet Tooth

Instead try a Chocolate Brownie Clif bar or a Caramel Nut Brownie Luna Bar.  They are both much higher in protein and have fewer calories from fat.  Here is the full breakdown for one Luna bar.

Calories: 180

From fat: 50

Total fat: 6g

Carbs: 27g

Sugar: 12g

Protein: 8g

Cutting the sugar and quadrupling the protein makes this a snack worth you won’t regret and still give you those health benefits of chocolate you crave.

Bad Pop Tarts, Good Kashi

The Only Thing Popping Will Be Your Belly

Since Pop Tarts’ advent as a “breakfast food,” hundreds of thousands of people have sacrificed the most important meal of the day for garbage. Of course, lots of food that’s sold in the morning should hardly be classified as anything but a dessert — donuts, muffins, pancakes with syrup and whipped cream – but that’s a tangent. Although a serving size is technically one pastry, as with Cheetos, I assume most people eat the two that come in the bag. So let’s look at the nutritional info for 2 strawberry Pop Tarts.

Calories: 400

From Fat: 90

Total fat: 10g

Carbs: 76g

Sugar: 38g

Protein: 4g

Whooee! A whopping 76 grams of carbohydrates are the source of most of the calories here, and the paltry amount of protein is hardly enough to off-set it. Although it may feel a little less sweet than, say, a chocolate Suzy Q cream cake, notice it actually has 16 more grams of sugar!

Who Says Flaking Tastes Bad?

If you must eat breakfast on the go, grab a Kashi cereal bar. They are made with 7 whole grains (best source of carbs!), 3 grams of fiber, and real fruit (much better than that processed strawberry stuff in Pop Tarts). They also compare pretty well in the facts, even if you have two (data for 2 in parenthesis).

Calories: 110 (220)

From fat: 25 (50)

Total fat: 3g (6)

Carbs: 21g (42)

Sugar: 9g (18 – less than half!)

Protein: 2g (4)

Bad Cookies, Good Cookies

All Cookies Aren't Created Equal

As you have been reading through this list, you may have been dreading I would finger your  (or your child’s) favorite, irreplaceable snack, and although crushed, you knew there was no way to avoid still having it. What could ever be as good as a chocolate chip cookie, for instance?  Well, how about a chocolate chip cookie?  Sometimes it’s not the snack you choose, but the brand you buy that makes the difference.

Many vending machines carry the famous Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies. A serving size is 4 cookies, but as with most junk foods, a bag always contains more than one serving. Multiply the following facts based on how many you usually eat.

Calories: 150

From fat: 60

Total fat: 7g

Carbs: 20g

Sugar: 9g

Protein: 1g

On the other hand Barbara’s Bakery Chocolate Chip Snackimals, while perhaps not quite as gooey, are very tasty and much better for you. They’re even completely natural, as all Barbara’s Bakery products are.

Calories: 120

From fat: 35

Total fat: 4g

Carbs: 19g

Sugar: 8g

Protein: 1g

Don’t grab a Snickers!

People Will Snicker Alright

The number one, hottest selling vending machine snack is the Snickers bar. I myself have opted for it when everything in the machine is junk. My reasoning: at least there are peanuts so there must be some protein.  Plus, it’s delicious!  However, it’s still packed with stuff I really don’t want to eat.

A regular 2 oz bar (not a King Size) has the following nutritional value (or lack thereof).

Calories: 280

From fat: 126

Total fat: 14g

Carbs: 35g

Sugar: 30g

Protein: 4g

Although it does have slightly more protein than your average treat, the off-the-charts fat and sugar probably neutralize any benefit I would have gotten from it.

Organic Energy in a Bar

The Clif brand makes a number of products that you may want to try for substitutions. The brownie bar (mentioned in the Suzy Q section) and this chocolate chip peanut crunch energy bar are good places to start. I think this one only comes in the Mini size.

Calories: 110

From fat 25

Total fat: 2.5g

Carbs: 17g

Sugar: 9g

Protein: 5g

Less than half the badness in every category, and still beats Snickers on protein!

Bad Twix, Good Larabar

The Worst Candy Bar Out There

If you’re not the one that goes for the nutty Snickers, Twix may be your siren. Unfortunately, the facts are almost exactly the same, with a little less protein.

Calories: 280

From fat: 126

Total fat: 14g

Carbs: 37g

Sugar: 27g

Protein: 3g

If You Must Get Your Sweet Stuff...

Larabars come in a variety of flavors, depending on your need: Cashew Cookie, Chocolate Coconut Chew, Cherry Pie, and so on. Organic and developed for your health, these are a good choice. I’ve picked the coconut chew for comparison purposes.

Calories: 220

From fat: 110

Total fat: 12g

Carbs: 24g

Sugar: 18g

Protein: 5g

Keep in mind it’s not just the numbers that matter. For instance, you may think this is pretty high in fat, but it’s important to consider the source of the fat. In the case of Larabar, it’s mostly almonds and walnuts that spike the calories from fat. In the case of Twix, I’m guessing it’s partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, milk and cream, and other processed fatty things you don’t want to think about.  And remember: LaraBar still beats Twix in every category by a long shot.

When You Want to Punch, Switch!

Liquid Obesity in a Bottle

Finally, for the drinkers among our children, we turn to a thirst-quenching snack. As the staggering caloric load of a triple mocha has taught some of us, we can drink junk as easily as eat it.  A student who is thirsty may innocently turn to a 20 oz Hawaiian Punch: it’s red, so maybe it’s juice, right?  Wrong!

Calories: 300

From fat: 0

Total fat: 0g

Carbs: 75g

Sugar: 72.5g

Protein: 0g

As you can see, Hawaiian Punch is straight sugar, in the form of high fructose corn syrup. In fact, the ingredients are, and I quote, “WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP AND 2% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING [juice concentrates].” Don’t be deceived by the claim that it’s made with “7 natural juices” – a dollop of nature can’t fix a boatload of chemicals.

Who Says Health Can't Taste Great?

Switch brand carbonated juices are the way to go when your kid wants a cool, refreshing beverage. For starters, there is NO high fructose corn syrup; in fact, all their products are 100% juice and carry a lot of Vitamin C. That’s a bit more natural. The cans are 8.3 oz and the bottles are 8, so there’s also less chance of overdosing on simple sugars. Here are the facts for a can (8.3 oz).

Calories: 120

Total fat: 0g

Total Carb: 30g

Sugar: 29g

Protein: 0g

Now You Know

After 7, I’m sure the idea is clear: look for fewer calories, more protein, more natural ingredients, and moderation. Teach your kids and students to be mindful of what they eat. A snack should be a snack – something small to tie one over for a real meal – not a substitute for a meal or another entire meal. Really, the children aren’t the ones to blame. If they had healthier options, perhaps, or more knowledge, they could make better choices. As responsible adults in their lives we should fight for them to have those choices and know what to do with them.

Filed Under: ADVICE & EDUCATION, Health & Nutrition Tagged With: , , ,

Child Nutrition Bill: What Does It Mean For Schools?

December 23, 2010 By 1 Comment

Obama

The Child Nutrition Bill and Our Schools

Now that Congress has passed the child nutrition bill and President Obama signed it in to law, schools across the country will start to determine how the new legislation impacts their own meal and vending programs.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act allows the Secretary of Agriculture to establish nutrition standards for foods sold in schools throughout the day, including items in vending machines.

As far as details go, the bill is a good start – but it is not enough to make groundbreaking changes in student nutrition.  For low-income students, the bill provides only 6 cents more per meal, and almost half of the $4.5 billion cost during the next decade is coming from cuts in the food-stamp program.

While it does not amount to a complete overhaul of the school lunch program, the child nutrition bill does include many significant improvements for student nutrition.  It increases the availability of school lunches by expanding the pool of low-income children eligible for the both free and reduced-price meals, while also stopping the federal government from subsidizing junk food and sugary drinks, whether they are sold in vending machines of from behind the counter.

Fruits and Veggies

The Importance of the Bill

The bill was passed just as the Journal of Adolescent Health released a report examining the impact of vending machine foods on 5,930 students at 152 schools. More than 80% of the schools surveyed had vending machines selling foods with minimal nutritional value, including chips, sodas and sweets.

In addition to these funding changes, the nutritional guidelines have been rewritten to include more fruits and vegetables, and less fat, salt, and starch.

School Grants

In response to the passing of the child nutrition bill, traditional vending machines in schools across the country are being replaced by healthy vending machines by HUMAN.  Progressive schools are replacing their machines before they are asked to comply to make sure they can take advantage of $10,000 in school grants provided by SPARK for replacing their junk food machines with with healthy vending machines.

Filed Under: ADVICE & EDUCATION, Health & Nutrition, VENDING INDUSTRY, Vending News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

New Child Nutrition Law Encourages Healthy Fundraising Projects

December 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Signed!

The new child nutrition law signed by President Obama on December 13th 2010 gives power to the government, particularly the Department of Agriculture, to determine what can and what cannot be served in our schools.  First Lady Michelle Obama has been a champion of this legislation as part of her Let’s Move campaign aimed at ending childhood obesity.  Putting this new law into effect is the first step in making our kids healthier.

Unplug the junk machines

Junk Food Machines Unplugged

New guidelines put in place will limit the amount of unhealthy food available to kids during school hours.  The main source of unhealthy food is the school vending machine.  Typically packed with candy bars, chips and soda, these machines tempt kids throughout the day and put them on a blood sugar roller coaster ride that makes it impossible for them to concentrate.  This new legislation will effectively shut off these vending machines during the most profitable times.  The only way a vending machine will be left on during the school day is if it serves healthy snacks and drinks.  It’s in the schools’ best interests to swap out old junk food machines for new healthy machines so they can continue to earn this much needed revenue.

Fruity Fundraisers

Often schools use fundraisers like bake sales to help students afford extra-curriculars like band camp.  And kids are always selling candy to teach basic business principles and to earn prizes.  One Green Bay area school is taking these new guidelines to heart.  The band at Ashwaubenon High School is selling fruit instead of candy to raise money for a trip.  Across the country, schools are making changes and reducing the amount of junk food sold on campus in an effort to fight back against increasing childhood obesity rates.

Healthy Vending

Schools that choose to make healthy vending machines available on campus will not only contribute to the wellness of their students but they will earn hefty profits as well.  Healthy food doesn’t mean a drop in revenue, quite the contrary!  Sales of organic foods are on the rise and what better place to put them than in front of our youngsters.  Healthy food means healthy bodies and healthy brains.  The child nutrition law will help make this a reality for our kids.

Filed Under: ADVICE & EDUCATION, Health & Nutrition, HEALTHY VENDING, The Bigger Picture Tagged With: , , , , ,

Child Nutrition Law: New Nutritional Standards For Schools

December 14, 2010 By 2 Comments

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act allows the Secretary of Agriculture to establish nutrition standards for foods sold in schools throughout the day, including items in vending machines. The standards require schools to offer more fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.

Now that President Obama has made this a child nutrition law, schools across the country will start to determine how the new legislation impacts their own meal and vending programs.

Sean Kelly, CEO of HUMAN Healthy Vending, the nation’s first and only, philanthropic, completely healthy vending-machine company says the bill couldn’t have come soon enough.

“With childhood obesity skyrocketing and a shortage of healthy food options in so many schools across the country, this bill is just what school districts need to kick start healthier eating habits,” Kelly says.

School food has a major impact on the nation’s health.  More than 80% of the schools surveyed in a report by the Journal of Adolescent Health examining the impact of vending machine foods on 5,930 students at 152 schools, had vending machines selling foods with minimal nutritional value, including chips, sodas and sweets.

Signing the child nutrition lawSupporters of the child nutrition law said it could reduce the prevalence of obesity among children, as the school lunch program feeds more than 31 million children a day in more than 101,000 public and private schools.

Ahead of the vending health curve, HUMAN manufactures and distributes digitally interactive, eco-friendly vending machines that sell 100% healthy foods and drinks such as all-natural trail mix, organic granola bars, pure fruit juice, organic milk and electrolyte-rich coconut water in their vending machines. They also provide education via 23-inch high-definition LCD screens that display nutritional information and health tips.

“Our mission is to make health foods, drinks, and information universally accessible,” Kelly says. “This bill will provide children with healthier options in schools, so they can develop new habits to lead more balanced healthy, happy lives.”

Filed Under: ADVICE & EDUCATION, Health & Nutrition Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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