Snack attacks occur at various times of the day and sometimes grabbing unhealthy options from places like vending machines is almost unavoidable. I know I’ve been in many situations where I’m working a corporate job and dying for a pick-me-up and the only choices end up being popping some coins into a vending machine or raiding a co-worker’s candy bowl, neither an enticing option. Candy would only act as a temporary source of satisfaction and then I’d end up kicking myself after the 15 minute post-consumption sugar crash; and vending machines are always packed with chips, candy, sodas, energy drinks, and other artery clogging contents that are far from healthy treats…or are they? This is where the guys from H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending come in.
In an effort to “help unite man with nutrition,” H.U.M.A.N. is an organization that has set out to place healthy vending machines across the globe, while donating 10% of the proceeds to charitable causes that work to combat obesity and malnutrition. H.U.M.A.N. vending machines are starting to pop up everywhere, challenging the status quo by offering an assortment of “good for you” snacking options including but not limited to: organic cookies, natural energy bars, organic trail mix, all-natural soda, pita chips, healthy fruit snacks, protein shakes, natural energy drinks, all-natural cheese snacks, organic crackers, healthy granola bars, sports waters, flavored waters, etc... from brands such as Pop Chips, Nature’s Path, Clif Bar, Robert’s American Gourmet, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Bear Naked, Annie’s Homegrown, Horizon Organic, Sambazon, etc. In a world where people are starting to fight back against the evils of unhealthy dining options, co-founders Sean Kelly and Andy Mackensen are definitely onto something.
See below for an inside scoop straight from the brain of Sean Kelly as he addresses why the company was created, where it is headed, and why he and Andy are so passionate about healthy vending machine options:
What was your inspiration behind creating H.U.M.A.N.?
We’ve both worked before in positions that we weren’t really passionate about we’ll never do it again. Without creating positive, concrete and direct impact, a job isn’t worth “doing” in our opinion. We can’t think of anything more important in the world right now that changing the way people eat and live their everyday lives. Often times the world’s greatest problems have the simplest solutions. We believe that obesity & diabetes are in large part the result of inadequate access to healthy snacks, foods & drinks. If the average person doesn’t have convenient access to the nutrition their body needs, how can we expect them to be healthy?
How long have you been running this business?
We’ve been involved in 100% healthy vending since 2003. They say the only thing worse than missing the train is catching the one before it, and that was certainly us for a while! But we used all of our previous mistakes and the market knowledge we gained in those first 5 years to start HUMAN in the beginning of 2008. We emerged a more efficient, scalable and focused company with improved technology and more optimal strategic partners. So although HUMAN is only a couple of years old, the journey before HUMAN was just as much a part of the company as the days after its founding. The journey really does matter…Mom & Dad were right ;)
Have people been receptive to your vending machines?
Yes, but it depends on the person! It really comes down to education. If someone understands the incredibly detrimental effects of consuming a poor diet, they welcome our machines with open arms. But then there are other people who really think that eating junk and treating their body poorly isn’t that big of a deal…they’re not educated about the seriousness of the problem at hand. These people may be less receptive to what we’re doing. But they’ll turn around at some point! A big part of what we do is educate, and while educating people takes a long time, once you do it, the problem is much easier to solve. You also have to remember that a lot of people have built fortunes and a good living selling people foods & drinks with zero nutritional value (kids have often been the #1 target). They don’t want to give up what they know or what’s been good to their pockets over the years. People are often very resistant to change, so this is something we battle as well. Most traditional vending operators and traditional food service directors don’t want to learn the new system, they just want to do what they’ve been doing for decades. This HAS to change…they MUST start to care. And they will, but it’ll take relentless effort.
What has been your biggest challenge so far in selling your services?
-Convincing people that healthy vending “works” because other traditional operators have done their best to give healthy vending a bad name (because they don’t want to change, they tell locations & people that healthy foods/drinks don’t sell, which is far from the truth)
-Battling with traditional food service directors who care ONLY about the money aspect of their food service program and nothing else
-Convincing management that even if they have to hear people whining and complaining for a month about their soda and candy being gone, that it’s still a good decision for the company and all of it’s people to go healthy
Tell me about the charities that you guys support with 10% of the proceeds.
Right now our only official partner is nPlay. They’re a charity focused exclusively on fighting childhood obesity through increased physical activity, and they promote their cause via their wide array of professional and well-known athletes. We’re doing our best to also partner with Jamie Oliver’s mission in America, and are hoping to have something secured within the next month. This way, we’ll have a charitable partner fighting childhood obesity from the physical activity side and also from the malnutrition side, which is perfectly in line with our overarching mission.
What makes the options you offer in your machines better choices?
So many people focus ONLY on calories. But two foods with the same amount AND type of calories can be very different foods based on the quality of the ingredients they contain. We focus on foods low in added-sugar, organically grown, free of hormones, minimal allergen content, etc….truly “healthy” foods. Clearly, the majority of our foods are also much lower in calories and of much greater nutritional value than their traditional vending counterpart. Our offerings, in comparison to traditional snacks/drinks, will be lower in calories, higher in quality carbohydrates, higher in healthy proteins, low in saturated fat, and will be sourced from nature as opposed to being filled with artificial ingredients and chemical sweeteners.
Where do you envision these vending machines being placed ideally?
Schools, hospitals, office buildings, airports, hotels, health clubs, and other high-traffic public areas (malls, transportation hubs, parks, etc)…
Do you see a future trend in more vending machines being healthy like the ones you offer?
100%, no question about it. The trends are all on our side and I believe that more than 50% of vending machines in the country will be HUMAN or like HUMAN within the next 3 years (by 2014). Junk food is on the way out – it’s not the sexy option, and it’s definitely not the smart option. The average person is becoming more and more educated and is starting to realize how much the nutritional content of the foods and drinks they consume affects their lives and the lives of people around them.
What has been your biggest victory as a company thus far in your career?
We can’t point to any one victory, but more so, the overall progress of the healthy vending movement. We’re creating ripples across the nation and effecting people in cities around North America, and it’s just beginning. Few things feel better than knowing that each and every day you’re creating a positive impact on society and the people of the world!
For more information on H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending please visit: http://www.healthyvending.com/
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