Health Tips from
Health Promotion
Medina County Health Department
4800 Ledgewood Drive, Medina, Ohio 44256 330-723-9688 or 1-888-723-9688
www.medinahealth.org
What’s in your vending machine?
Obesity rates are skyrocketing among adults and children. It is leading to an increase in health-related problems
such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Obesity is the result of too many calories from foods and beverages,
and too little physical activity. Individual behaviors, environmental factors, and genetics all contribute to the
obesity problem. Behavior and environment play a large role in causing people to be overweight and obese.
These are the greatest areas for prevention.
Work and school environments have many food and eating options. Vending machines are stocked with a
greater selection of products. Pre-packaged foods and soft drinks are easy to find and eat. These foods tend to
be high in fat, sugar, and calories.
Healthy Choices
Snacks
Beverages
•
•
•
•
•
Water: Pure, non-carbonated, calorie-free,
flavored
Milk: Low-fat (1%) or non-fat, white or flavored
Sports drinks
100% fruit juice
100% vegetable juice
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Trail mix: Plain
Yogurt: Preferably non-fat, low-fat, or light
Baked chips
Pretzels
Granola bars, whole grain fruit bars
Animal crackers
Nuts and seeds: Plain or with spices
Graham crackers
Low-fat string cheese
Fresh, canned, or individually packed fruit (light syrup
or natural juices)
Fig Newtons
Fat-free popcorn
It is important to read food labels.
Most packages contain more than one serving. Read labels carefully to
determine total amount of calories, fat, carbohydrates, and sodium.
The Serving Size
Standardized serving sizes
make nutritional
comparisons of similar
products easier.
Nutrition Facts
Information on the
amount per serving of
saturated fat, cholesterol,
dietary fiber, and other
nutrients of major health
concern.
Calories provide a
measure of how much
energy you get from a
serving of this food.
Serving Size 1 oz (28g)
Servings Per Container 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories 150
Nutrients
Calories & Calories
from Fat
Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g
15%
Saturated Fat 3g
15%
Sodium 180mg
8%
Total Carbohydrate 15g
5%
Sugars 0g
Daily Values
Nutrient reference values,
expressed as % Daily
Values, help consumers
see how a food fits into an
overall
daily diet.
Protein 2g
Vitamin A 0%
y
Vitamin C 10%
Calcium 0%
y
Iron
0%
Vitamins and
Minerals
Information on the amount
per serving of vitamins and
minerals in food, and their
percent daily values.
Footnotes
Below the asterisk sign (*) at
the bottom of the label, there
are key nutrients listed and
how much you should eat,
depending on your calorie
intake. The % Daily Value is
based on how much, or how
little, of the key nutrients you
should eat based on 2,000 or
2,500 calories per day in your
diet.
Resources
Center for Science in the Public Interest: Nutrition Policy Project “School Foods Tool Kit”
www.cspinet.org/schoolfoods
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Overweight and Obesity: Contributing
Factors”
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/contributing_factors.htm
U.S. Food and Drug Administration: “The Food Label”
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/foodlabel/newlabel.html
U.S. Food And Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition: “How
to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label”
http://www.cfsan.gov/~dms/foodlab.html
9/10