YoNaturals Vending Blog

We at YoNaturals would like to congratulate Barack Obama on his historic presidential victory last night in the Presidential election. Americans showed overwhelming support in the polls for his vision of change in this great nation, and we hope he is able to accomplish his goals.

We at YoNaturals vending are looking forward to solid growth as the U.S. gets back to business as usual. We have continued to expand exponentially despite the horrific economic conditions, and we plan to continue our success in what will hopefully be a prosperous economy under new leadership.

Congratulations Mr. Obama!

Food companies which produce junk foods are making much fuller use of the Internet to market their wares — and this has some parents upset.

A recent Business Week article outlined how sophisticated advertising tools used to market everything from clothes to cars, are being pressed into service to position junk food advertising before the eyes of those children and adolescents who frequent popular social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace.

The worry is that such advertising bombards children to a degree which will likely generate unhealthy eating habits difficult or impossible to curb later in life.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention point out that almost nineteen percent of kids between the ages of six and eleven are already overweight, and that the problem continues to worsen.  Critics of junk food advertising see such advertising as unhelpful.

They have won a level of cooperation from junk food producers in the past to limit the television advertising of junk foods.  Now critics feel they are witnessing the transfer of the nutrition battle from one venue to another — and one decidedly harder to monitor.  While not seeking an outright ban on unhealthy convenience foods, parents and others concerned with health would like to give a freer hand to choice in helping nudge the food marketplace toward a more healthy direction.

The success of YoNaturals, of course, is one clear indication that consumers will respond to healthier eating options, given a level playing field.  YoNaturals has seen its monthly revenues regularly increase — despite the general downturn in the American economy and in the face of this onslaught of junk food Internet advertising.

Food industry spokespersons and others remind us that personal nutrition choices remain indeed just that, and that in the case of children parental oversight is preferable to increased governmental regulation of the marketplace.

Whichever path to better public health is eventually decided on — may it be a mercifully short and successful one.

Over the last two years YoNaturals has made tremendous strides with the introduction of healthy vending machine products in schools. These healthy organic and natural snacks help the schools make positive steps toward improving the quality of the snacks they serve. They have helped schools in their quest to provide healthier vending products while at the same time encouraging consumption of natural and organic foods.

In just two years YoNaturals has accomplished what many companies before it could not—teaching schools how to provide healthier snacks in their vending machines. It may not take care of all the problems, but it’s a start. YoNaturals is attempting to put a stop to the problem of childhood obesity by eliminating any excuses the schools may have for not trying to do something about it. It’s a serious problem, but in the past two years YoNaturals has been working to help everyone understand the importance of making healthy eating a part of everyday life. It isn’t something you can choose to do when it’s convenient; healthy eating is something that must be a part of your life every day of the year.

Our to change what our children eat for snack when they are in school is going to make a huge difference in the way they eat at home. By teaching them to eat healthy snacks we also teach them the importance of eating healthy meals as well. The choices you make for yourself and your children will make the difference in your future and help our nation as a whole beat the problem of childhood obesity. The efforts of YoNaturals will hopefully send a global message of the importance of eating natural and organic food and snacks. Childhood obesity is not limited to the United States, although we do have a larger percentage of obese children than most other parts of the world due mostly to poor eating habits.

How do we do it? What is the answer to childhood obesity? The answer lies partly in making sure children have vending machines with healthy snacks. It is not the only answer, but it is a step in the right direction.

YoNaturals recently launched a new vending program (http://www.healthclubvending.com) specifically designed for Health Clubs and Gyms which allows these locations to offer a wide variety of best-selling fitness related snacks and drinks without worrying about theft or taking time away from staff. The innovative program solves many of the usual problems that health clubs encounter when trying to offer members and visitors foods and beverages that enhance the workout experience, quench thirst and revive energy.

Traditionally, snack and drink offerings in gyms have been notoriously susceptible to theft, from members as well as staff! In order to thwart member “sampling” of products, a full-time staff member has been required to attend the station at all times; and there is nothing that prevents this staff member from helping him or herself to a drink or protein bar either! Regardless, the system required paying a staff member for the sole purpose of providing foods and drinks to members.

The YoNaturals Health Club Vending machine allows gym owners to offer these products almost without any effort and attention whatsoever. No additional staff is required, product restocking is simple and quick (online ordering and delivery), and the gym gets to keep all the profit! The program allows the owner to lease the machine with no money down and low payments with flexible terms.

The machines also allow use of debit/credit cards and even prepaid member cards, all of which are incredibly convenient for the member and have been know to increase product purchases by as much as 30%.

The YoNaturals Health Club Vending Machines are a fantastic opportunity for gym owners to provide additional services to their members and visitors while worrying less, eliminating theft, and not taking time away from staff.

More Information on YoNaturals Health Club Vending.

YoNaturals Vending - San Diego, California

Hard times are upon us, and in all likelihood, probable worse times lie ahead. The stock market is plummeting to depths not seen since the Great Depression, and the seemingly invincible giants of the financial industry are crumbling under the weight of our current recession. Innumerable homeowners stare incredulously at foreclosure notices while others watch their 401k’ retirement plans diminish. Banks and financial institutions aren’t lending, consumers are refusing to spend their disposable income and the economy is screeching to a halt.

But amidst the crashing waves of the reverse pendulum swing, a few resilient industries are standing firm and even prospering; one of the notables is the Healthy Vending industry. None can deny the unstoppable momentum of the organic food movement, which has grown 20 times over in the last two decades to become a $20 billion dollar industry. It seems that the increasingly health-conscious American population is more than willing to continue shelling out a few extra bucks to protect their health, maintain their weight and increase their overall well being.

Low-cost consumables in general seem to be virtually unaffected by the economic crisis we are currently experiencing. While consumers aren’t buying as many expendable luxuries, they’ll still quiet their rumbling stomach by sparing a dollar or two on the nearest vending machine. And health conscious people in particular are always willing to expend a little extra cash to maintain their lifestyle.

The vending industry has been a stable and ongoing source of cash for decades. In the midst of deflating investments and crumbling retirements, there has never been a better time to take a look at this resilient and consistently successful source of income.

But take it one step further and reflect on the nexus of these two powerful market forces, which are quickly forming into one unstoppable juggernaut. Combine an ever more health-savvy population with increasingly available nutritional knowledge and what do you get? Consumers who demand healthy alternatives and are pressuring governments, schools and businesses to make a change; and they are listening. Organic aisles in grocery stores are continually expanding, junk foods and sodas are being banned from schools across the nation, and businesses are adapting to these demands by increasing the number of healthy options they provide and via workplace wellness initiatives.

Together this means that there has never been a better time to consider investing in your own healthy vending business. It is a tangible business that requires some effort on your behalf, but you will certainly reap the rewards long-term. People want health and convenience, and slightly higher prices are not affecting the sales of these low-price goods in this economy.

Now could be the time to make an investment that provides stable, consistent “cash” dividends for many years to come. The vending industry has proven itself to be a winner for over twenty years, and healthy vending is rapidly becoming the rising superstar. An industry with a proven track record combined with the evolving consumer trend towards health and well being means there are plenty of dollars to be made in this multi-billion dollar industry.

In times like this, our health and well-being are more important than ever,” says Mark Trotter, CEO of YoNaturals. “Snack and drink options are amongst the lowest cost choices we make daily in our diets. YoNaturals believes that people will make the right choices! That’s why we are expanding quickly in a school, office building or health club near you. Simply put, we get it!”

Contact YoNaturals to find out how you can capitalize on one of the soundest cash return investments available during these uncertain times.

Author: Philip Segal

Just last week, the San Diego business journal declared YoNaturals a junk food fighter, and brought up a few issues we would like to discuss. The article starts off: “It’s not exactly peas and carrots, but YoNaturals Inc. says its vending machine concept provides a healthier alternative to students who would otherwise throw their spare change and health away on Snickers and Cokes.” A very poignant statement that clearly illustrates the idea behind YoNaturals healthy vending.

The response to our fully organic and natural vending machines has been overwhelmingly positive. Most people understand the great need for a change in our society, and they welcome our healthy alternative with open arms. However, there are always some detractors, as with any great idea. The particular small group of people in our industry points out that we still provide foods that are packaged and aren’t as healthy as plain vegetables and fruit served by themselves.

Well, there is no doubt that this is true. But what naysayers of this sort don’t realize is that serving completely fresh foods regularly, on a wide scale basis, and getting people to patronize them enough to create a working distribution system is highly unlikely (or it would probably exist). The simple, sometimes unfortunate truth is that people will often choose convenience and low prices over health, even when it is their own well-being at risk

So the question becomes, do we try to hold firm to an impossible ideal that will benefit no one because of its impracticality, and that won’t significantly affect the market share or influence of junk food and soda companies, or do we actually do something that will have a positive effect in the near future?

YoNaturals has chosen the latter. At this point in time, a business based on distribution of organic and natural, highly perishable foods in any sort of vending machine is all but completely impractical. The demand is questionable, the necessary workload to maintain such a system is virtually insurmountable, and the price of such products due to all of these factors would far exceed what most people would consider affordable.

We believe we have created the best healthy vending system that can reasonably expect to take on the entrenched junk food companies, and our fantastic success is a testament to these claims. If those of us who support health and well-being for our fellow citizens do not start aggressively promoting OUR products, we will continue to leave the field open for junk food companies to dominate, as they have for so long. Understand the dilemma and aid the cause: support YoNaturals healthy vending machines!

YoNaturals is taking great strides in spreading natural and organic vending machines across America. Schools are waking up to the dangers of junk food and soda vending, and despite initial resistance to tampering with their unhealthy but lucrative contracts, they are starting to respond to the outrage that they are exposing our students and children to these risks.

After running the initial article last year, Worldchanging.com has reprinted the article that praises the beautiful and practical idea that is YoNaturals. The article begins by discussing the temptations we are faced with on a daily basis. Our need for food is constant and daily, and we are often out of hte house. As such, we tend to eat whatever is around us; and junk food vendors have gone to great lengths to ensure that we always have plenty of unhealthy vending fare to choose from!

WorldChanging points out that:

“The point is not that indulgence is unconditionally bad, or that self-deprivation will solve our problems, but that the constant availability of food has so confused our relationship with eating that we are literally paying for it in hospital bills, cholesterol counts, and the emotional exhaustion of being physically unhealthy.”

The need and desire to eat and drink will always be there, and fighting this urge will have about as much success as prohibition did in the early 1900’s. The answer is not deprivation, but rather replacing the unhealthy with the healthy. And that is exactly what YoNaturals is doing. Vending can be both healthy and delicious.

While healthy vending machines can’t solve all the health problems in America, they can certainly bring us a step closer to keeping the child obesity and early onset diabetes epidemics under control. As WorldChanging says:

“I’m sure the next time my stomach rumbles in the middle of a hectic day, I’ll be wishing there were a YoNatural’s machine nearby instead of a Coca-Cola dispenser.”

Us too.

The 21^st century has definitely been a time of backlash against the vending industry. Let’s face it: junk food companies have used very clever techniques over the last half-century in order to acquire their stranglehold over America. Just look at the marketing (brainwashing?) campaigns directed towards children that are nothing short of brilliant, if despicable. Hook them young, and they’ll be consumers for life, right?

Unfortunately, this has proven all too true. Even more unfortunate is the fact that we don’t even have to wait until adulthood to see the unsettling affects of junk food on our nation’s youth. Child obesity rates are soaring out of control, as are those of early onset diabetes. Parents and schools have clearly failed to keep their children healthy in this world. It’s not entirely their fault; the junk food industry is a mighty force to reckon with.

Over the last decade or so, we have seen a huge backlash against the vending industry, particularly in elementary schools. States are instituting extraordinarily stringent guidelines as regards to what so-called “competitive” foods and drinks are allowed to be sold to children of different ages. Many foods that were determined to be unhealthy were simply banned altogether, and we can only assume that more states will continue to fall in line with this thinking.

This type of action will indeed solve the problem, there is no question about that. But it’s a bit Machiavellian. It throws out the baby with the bathwater, if you will. The problem is not that children need a snack occasionally, or that they get thirsty, or that they like convenient foods that taste good. The problem is that these natural tendencies have been exploited by those who would make profits selling cheap, overly processed foods at the expense of our kids’ health.

But banning vending machine food altogether is not going to solve the problem ultimately; it will simply create a vacuum to be filled by yet another unscrupulous group of junk food peddlers. That’s why we at YoNaturals have come up with an actual solution that will both benefit children, allow us our convenience, and still allow underfunded schools to put vending profits to good use.

The answer is simple: don’t just get rid of junk food, replace it with someone better. There’s no rule that says food can’t be conveninent, tasty and healthy. It’s just that very few people are willing to put in the effort to make it so. YoNaturals has put that effort in, pioneering the organic and natural vending industry and creating the largest distribution network of its kind in the nation. And schools have never been more pleased with the results.

For those of you who haven’t heard yet, YoNaturals has launched the School Healthy Vending initiative which is designed to allow schools to acquire these healthy vending machines without any initial expenditure. The machines will pay for themselves, after which schools keep 100% of the profit. There is no downside, and schools simply have no excuse not to offer their children natural and organic vending snacks and drinks. In fact, they have a duty to do everything in their power to ensure that their students have access to such healthy alternatives.

YoNaturals has done its part by making this incredible opportunity available; it is now up to the schools to make it happen and the parents to ensure that it does, for the sake of our children.

If you’re like many who are trying to eat healthier, you probably know that not all snack foods are created equally. Even with claims of healthy benefits painted boldly on their packaging, it may take a little investigative work on our part to ensure that our families are eating good wholesome food to give us energy and keep us healthy over the long term.

One way to look at our snack foods to figure out if they fit into a healthy lifestyle is to look at the nutritional labels on the packaging of foods. Of course, some of the best foods we can eat come naturally packaged without a label, in the form of fruits and vegetables! You really can’t go wrong by picking up most of your snacks in your local produce section or farmer’s market, particularly if they are organic fruits and vegetables. But for many of us, and our kids, there are times when packaged foods are either more convenient or simply preferred over other things. In that case, there are a couple of things to look for on the nutritional label that is required on all packaged foods.

• Serving Size
  • The serving size will tell you how much of the product the manufacturer is using for the measurements on the label.
• Servings per container
  • The servings per container will tell you how many servings are in the package. This is important because, depending on how much of the package you eat, you will need to multiply the amounts on the label by the number of servings you eat.
• Calories per serving
  • It is important to compare the calories per serving to the number of servings there are in a container. Add up how many calories are in the entire package if you will be eating the entire package over the course of a day or two. Simply multiply the calories per serving by the servings per container.
• Fats
  • Good in moderation
    • Monounsaturated fats have positive effects on cholesterol, like lowering levels of the so-called “bad” LDL cholesterol and raising levels of healthy HDL cholesterol.
    • Omega 3 is recommended for its anti-inflammatory properties and its positive effects on cholesterol, as well as its role in the prevention of a number of diseases including cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
  • Avoid these fats
    • Saturated fats can raise your LDL cholesterol levels, or the so-called “bad” cholesterol, which contribute to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease.
    • Trans fats are particularly harmful to your health because they raise your LDL cholesterol levels and lower your healthy HDL cholesterol levels.
• Ingredients to avoid
  • Hydrogenated oils
    Partially hydrogenated oil is a common ingredient in snack foods. Hydrogenation is the process of turning a liquid, unsaturated fat into a solid fat commonly called trans fat. Avoid snacks with hydrogenated oil listed as an ingredient, even if the item lists zero trans fats.
  • High fructose corn syrup
    High fructose corn syrup contains a high amount of fructose, which the body cannot utilize very well and can possibly be disruptive to metabolism and liver function. Avoid snacks containing high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient.

The clear winners in healthy snacking use natural and organic ingredients and no preservatives, hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. You will find plenty of healthy snacking options from your nearest YoNaturals vending machine. When you have a YoNaturals vending machine nearby healthy vending becomes a reality.

When you choose foods and beverages from a YoNaturals healthy vending machine, you don’t have to worry about things like trans fats or preservatives. You’ll have lots of natural and organic products from which to choose. Encourage your gym, school or workplace to use a YoNaturals vending machine to ensure healthy snacking for the entire family.

Author: Rachel Moss

Do you ever find yourself at work, staring at your computer screen, hungry but with nothing to eat? Where do you turn for food when you can’t duck out to the grocery store or run out to grab a bite at a nearby restaurant? If you’re like many people, this is the part where you start searching your pockets and pocketbooks for loose change so that you can feed the vending machines and then feed your belly.

Given the workloads that many people bear at home and at the office, it’s hardly surprising to learn that Americans rely on vending machines in the way that they do. The bank of machines is always there, prepared to offer a quick snack or a cold drink for all that come forward with their quarters, nickels, and dimes. It can serve as a quick fix to a forgotten lunch or a remedy to that 2 o’clock slump. Plus, its offerings are quick and easy to scarf down in between emails, phone calls, or meetings. In fact, vending machines seem to provide a perfect solution to many food-related problems in the workplace
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It’s simply too good to be true, though. The bad news for all of you hungry souls is that maintaining a diet that relies heavily on the prepackaged food found in most vending machines is not good for your health. First and foremost, if you are already trying to rush through your lunch and coffee breaks, trying to finish the task at hand, it’s unlikely that you will slow down to eat. And while it may not seem like such a bad thing to eat quickly when there is a need to do so, the devil is in the details.

If you are eating quickly or even eating with one hand while typing with the other, then you are not giving your body an opportunity to tell you when to stop eating. You will likely miss the signals that your stomach sends to you when it’s full and ready for you to stop eating. Compound this with the fact that most traditional vending machine foods are loaded with fats and calories, and you are setting yourself up for a diet disaster.

So, you ask, what’s the best thing to do in these situations? First off, look for vending machines that dispense healthy foods (like those produced by YoNaturals), so that you can provide your body with some proper nutrients to get it through the end of your workday. Secondly, if at all possible, take a few minutes away from your desk to enjoy your snack. Your mind, body, and spirit will feel rejuvenated afterwards, which will improve your performance in turn.