Katie Waxman

What are the ingredients in your favorite vending machine snack or beverage? Do you know? If you do, you belong to a growing group of consumers who not only know which ingredients are in their food but also know the number of ingredients. According to Andrew Mandyz, Director of Strategic Insights at Nielsen, “There’s a shift in how people are thinking about ‘better for you.’ People are looking for back-to-basics, simpler ingredients.”

Ingredient Labels

Seeing the recipe for your snack or beverage would be the best way to learn about what is in it, and how much of each thing was used. But since that is rarely an option, there is another way for Santa Clarita consumers to learn about what is in their food and drink—by reading ingredient labels. Ingredients are listed in a very specific order. The largest ingredient is listed first, followed by each ingredient until the smallest ingredient. For example, a ready-to-drink cold tea that lists the ingredients tea (water, tea), sugar, and lemon is letting the consumer know that there is more tea than sugar, and more sugar than lemon in the beverage. Nielsen found that “about 61 percent [of consumers] said that the shorter the ingredients’ list, the healthier the product.”

Online Resources

In addition to reading ingredient labels, consumers are researching health information online. Mandzy found that the number of consumers who went online for information went from 48% in 2014 up to 68% in 2016, a 20% increase. With the large amount of health information available online, and more Santa Clarita consumers using the internet, it is important to know how to determine if a website contains reliable information. Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center offers some tips:

• Don’t search the entire Internet. Start with the Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library [or other hospital website] or MedlinePlus.gov.
• Evaluate commercial (“dot com”) sites carefully for bias and conflict of interest.
• Check to see if the information is current (less than three years old).
• Look for the credentials of the author (i.e. doctor, nurse, psychologist) to make sure the information is written by a health professional.

Technology as a Tool

Using technology to track health-related activities and numbers are also on the rise. There are apps that are worn during activities such as running or walking, ones that track the number of hours slept and the quality of sleep, ones that track what an individual has eaten and count calories, and others that track heart health or healthy habits. With so many apps available, it can be challenging to find one that meets a Santa Clarita user’s needs. Harvard Health Publications recommends several things to consider when looking for the right app.

• Have realistic expectations of the technology and watch out for unrealistic claims.
• Read reviews. Try out a few different ones.
• Read the fine print.
• Ask for recommendations.
• Look for ones “sponsored or created by established health advocacy groups, medical organizations, or universities”

Reading ingredient labels, researching health information and monitoring one’s own health-related activities are just a few of the many ways that consumers can become more knowledgeable. Sharon Allison-Ottey, MD and health educator, recently expressed that “the overall trend of a more-educated consumer is excellent” especially when it comes to a person’s diet. Which snack and beverage ingredients do your consumers want to see in their Santa Clarita healthy vending machines?

Contact Santa Clarita Concessions at (661) 259-7310 to learn more about our vending options.

If your New Year’s resolution was to lose weight and/or eat healthier, keep your commitment to yourself and choose “bubbly” sparkling water instead of champagne or soda for your Valentine’s Day celebration.

Why make sparkling water your beverage of choice in 2017?

• It’s Healthier – Many leading brands, such as LaCroix, don’t have any calories, sweeteners, sodium or anything artificial.
• It’s Cheaper – With many cities and counties across the country imposing extra taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, it’s better for your budget to stay away from sodas.
• It’s Trending – According to the Wall Street Journal’s article LaCroix Bubbles Up in Water Brand Competition, sparkling water consumption grew 26% from 2015-2016. And according to an article from Huffington Post, Sparkling Water is the New Soda, between 2009 and 2014, the volume of carbonated bottled water sold in the U.S. increased by 56.4%.
• It’s Diverse – Sparkling water offers a large variety of flavors not commonly found in soda. Think black cherry dragon fruit, orange grapefruit, and kiwi watermelon.

This year as you work to improve your own drinking habits don’t forget to help your Santa Clarita employees do the same.

Whether you offer traditional vending, micro markets or free vend benefits to your employees, your local vendor can stock your healthy break room with sparkling water options.

Some of our favorites include:

ICE – Started in the early 1990s in the Pacific Northwest, the ICE line now includes sparkling teas and lemonades in addition to their twelve succulent varieties of sparkling water.

Dasani Sparkling – All 6 varieties of Dasani Sparkling water are unsweetened and have no artificial flavor. They also are juice free.

LaCroix – Originating in the 1980s LaCroix has made a serious comeback complete with a whole new look. Today they are easily the leading name in sparkling water.

For more sparkling water or juice options call Santa Clarita Concessions at (661) 259-7310 today. We’ll be happy to add some healthy carbonated beverages to your Santa Clarita vending machines or micro market with your next refill.

Have you seen the Capital One TV commercial that asks, “What’s in your wallet?” It’s no longer just about what’s in the object that holds the cash and credit cards that you carry in your back pocket or handbag. It’s now about what type of wallet you use – a mobile wallet that holds a variety of credit card, bank account, and loyalty program information, or the one that holds actual cash and credit cards.

Historically, vending machines accepted only cash. As technology changed, so did the types of payments that vending machines allowed. Today, a new option is available that has the potential to increase sales at Santa Clarita’s healthy vending machines–the contactless transaction. This type of transaction is not only cashless but also credit cardless. The person purchasing a snack or beverage needs only to carry a smartphone that has a mobile payment app, and he or she can quickly buy that item. Many universities and colleges have already seen an increase in the use of mobile wallets by students. Some of the more well-known mobile payment systems are Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Android Pay, but banks and credit cards are also creating their own mobile payment apps.

Do you use a mobile wallet? If you do, you are part of a segment of the population that is moving toward a cashless society. A June 2016 Gallop Poll found that fewer Americans are using cash for purchases today than they did five years ago. In November 2016, Capital One surveyed 1,805 individuals and found that 24.4% of the participants use a mobile wallet for purchases, and 63.3% of those individuals adopted the technology during the past year. That leaves 76.7% of those who participated in the study who do not use a mobile wallet. Another way to look at it is that there are 1,364 potential new mobile wallet users in the Capital One survey. Or 1,364 potential vending machine users in Santa Clarita that could purchase a healthy snack using a mobile wallet.

Digital advertising for contactless transactions or mobile payments also impacts the volume of sales at vending machines. A recent study by USA Technologies, Inc. (USAT) examined the relationship between digital advertising and the use of mobile wallets, specifically Apple Pay, at 35 vending machines in New York and Louisiana. They found that there was a 36.5% increase in overall sales at the machines that promoted the availability of Apple Pay.  Maeve McKenna Duska, senior vice president of marketing and sales at USAT, stated, “Based on our study, we believe that when businesses and operators present consumers with the option to pay for items with Apple Pay, the number of mobile payments made and the amount spent increases.” Given the large volume of vending machines currently being used in Santa Clarita and the increasing number of individuals who are switching to mobile wallets, there is an opportunity for growth as sales typically increase when mobile payments are available.

If you are looking for mobile payment options for your healthy breakroom vending machine, contact Santa Clarita Concessions, at (661) 259-7310.

Have you ever had one of those days when you need an energy boost to make it through the day? If you have, you’re not alone. Even athletes such as elite marathoners sometimes need an energy boost while training and competing. Marathoners have traditionally used gels for an energy boost, but there is a new trend among athletes that could soon find its way into your healthy breakroom vending machine—caffeinated gum. Caffeine is known to increase one’s alertness and decrease fatigue. Recent research about caffeinated gum and its effects on athletes by New Zealand’s Eastern Institute of Technology’s Carl Paton confirmed that caffeinated gum behaves in the same way as gels by improving performance, focus and clarity. To combat your afternoon slump, try adding caffeinated gum to one of these healthy options.

Choose Healthy Snacks

What you eat matters. Eating healthy is important for all of us in Santa Clarita, not just athletes. Choosing healthy snacks whether it be cheese slices with whole wheat crackers or sliced apples with peanut butter plays an important role in combating the sluggishness and fatigue caused by poor nutrition. The saying that food is our body’s fuel is true as what we eat either positively or negatively impacts how we perform. Whether you keep healthy snacks in your desk or choose ones from a vending machine, make healthy selections to see the most benefit.

Drink Water

Our bodies are made of multiple systems that rely on water to be able to function correctly. Unfortunately, most of us don’t drink nearly enough to make up for the water that we lose every day, which can lead to dehydration. Side effects of dehydration include lack of energy and fatigue. To combat dehydration, the Mayo Clinic recommends that men drink about 13 cups or 3 liters of beverages per day, and women drink about 9 cups or 2.2 liters per day. Water and other non-sugary beverages can be found in your office vending machine or healthy breakroom.

Go for a Walk

Movement is a great way to increase energy levels and improve focus. It could be going for a walk in your Santa Clarita neighborhood or doing jumping jacks at your desk. As long as your blood flow increases and you breathe a bit faster, you should see benefits. Exercise is also great for stress relief. When we decrease our stress level, our mood often improves and we feel more motivated to accomplish our to-do lists. Whether you exercise with a friend or on your own, get moving.

Have Some Caffeine

Most often when we need a boost of energy, we gravitate toward coffee or other caffeinated beverages. There are times, however, when consuming caffeine in a beverage is not an option.  For example, you might not have a cup of coffee or other caffeinated beverage nearby or you may not enough time to drink an entire beverage. Caffeinated gum has an additional benefit that caffeinated beverages do not. The caffeine from caffeinated gum bypasses the digestive system and goes straight into your system, so you feel the effect of the caffeine faster.

Eating healthy snacks, drinking water and exercising all contribute to increased energy throughout the day at the office. Caffeinated gum offers the extra pick me up that we all sometimes need. Would your Santa Clarita consumers like to see caffeinated gum as a healthy snack in their vending machines or healthy break room? Contact Santa Clarita Concessions today at (661) 259-7310.