South Beach Diet Vending Machine
If you ever wanted proof of the commercial juggernaut that is called dieting - this is it.
Kraft Foods is rolling out a vending machine stocked with South Beach Diet branded food.
Apparently the machines are already in service in Florida. The machines are only stocked with foods that are compliant with the Arthur Agatston's South Beach Diet.
This includes: Planters nuts, Breakstone's low-fat cottage cheese, Crystal Light drinks, Jell-O sugar-free gelatin snacks, Nabisco Wheat Thins and the new South Beach Diet lunch wraps.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Maybe some would argue that this is a healthier option over traditional vending machine fare - but the principles behind such initiatives have very little to do with healthy weight management.
How about I finish with a list of ingredients for the South Beach Diet™ Refrigerated Wrap Kit Turkey & Bacon Club (Phase 2 and 3)? (source).
OVEN ROASTED TURKEY BREAST - CURED - TURKEY BREAST, WATER, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF MODIFIED CORN STARCH, SALT, SUGAR, SODIUM LACTATE, POTASSIUM LACTATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, SODIUM DIACETATE, SODIUM ERYTHORBATE (MADE FROM SUGAR), SODIUM NITRITE. SUGAR FREE STRAWBERRY GELATIN - ARTIFICIALLY FLAVORED - WATER, GELATIN, ADIPIC ACID (FOR TARTNESS), SODIUM CITRATE (CONTROLS ACIDITY), CITRIC ACID (FOR TARTNESS), ASPARTAME** AND ACESULFAME POTASSIUM (SWEETENERS), SALT, RED 40, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR. **PHENYLKETONURICS: CONTAINS PHENYLALANINE. WHEAT TORTILLAS - WATER, MODIFIED WHEAT STARCH, WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN, PALM OIL, CELLULOSE POWDER, WHEAT PROTEIN ISOLATE, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, LEAVENING (SODIUM BICARBONATE, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE), CELLULOSE GUM, DISTILLED MONOGLYCERIDES, WHEAT STARCH, ALPHA AMYLASE, PRESERVATIVES (CALCIUM PROPIONATE, SORBIC ACID, FUMARIC ACID, SODIUM METABISULFITE), CANOLA OIL, TRIGLYCERIDES, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CARAMEL COLOR, SUCRALOSE. CHEESE BLEND - 2% MILK NATURAL REDUCED FAT MOZZARELLA CHEESE (PASTEURIZED PART-SKIM MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES, VITAMIN A PALMITATE), NATURAL NONFAT CHEDDAR CHEESE (PASTEURIZED SKIM MILK AND MILK, SALT, YEAST*, CHEESE CULTURE, ARTIFICIAL COLOR, NATURAL FLAVOR*, ENZYMES, VITAMIN A PALMITATE), POTATO STARCH, WATER, CELLULOSE POWDER (ANTICAKING AGENT), CALCIUM SULFATE, SALT, NATAMYCIN (A NATURAL MOLD INHIBITOR). *INGREDIENT NOT IN REGULAR CHEDDAR CHEESE. LIGHT MAYONNAISE - WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH*, EGG YOLKS, VINEGAR, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, EGGS, MUSTARD FLOUR, WITH POTASSIUM SORBATE* AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA AS PRESERVATIVES, PHOSPHORIC ACID*, DL-ALPHA TOCOPHERYL ACETATE (VITAMIN E), OLEORESIN PAPRIKA, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, PHYLLOQUINONE (VITAMIN K1) *INGREDIENT NOT NORMALLY FOUND IN MAYONNAISE. BACON BITS - HICKORY SMOKE FLAVOR ADDED - BACON (CURED WITH WATER, SALT, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, SODIUM ERYTHORBATE [MADE FROM SUGAR], SODIUM NITRITE), HICKORY SMOKE FLAVOR.
Remember the days when we would pick an apple from a tree in the back yard? What happened?
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People love easy solutions. They love to pretend they diet! They spend fortunes in light and diet food but are unable to make a fresh vegetable soup. Or eat a plain orange or apple... by the way: I do have orange trees in my backyard ;)
ReplyI was just at the store today when I began noticing all the KRAFT South Beach Diet products, the book was an excellent jump start to a healthy lifestyle, but now it is nothing more than a marketing gimmick. For example, I looked at all the ingredients on the South Beach Diet snack bars, EVERYTHING IS PROCESSED! It is expensive to live healthy!
ReplyOh, my gosh - that list of ingredients is just stunning. Yes, it amazing how people can kid themselves that they're "eating healthy." I realize I am being more than a little smug, since I'm sitting here eating my breakfast apple while getting my morning dose of the Diet Blog.....! Heaven knows I have eaten more than my share of chemical-ridden vending machine food in days past.
ReplyYes, people are lazy -- and food companies such as Kraft are always looking for a way to make money. You just can't make as much money by selling a simple product like an apple. To grow their profits they have to be more "creative" and come up with a hundred other ways to market and sell that apple -- a pre-made apple pie in the deli section, a pre-made frozen apple pie, a pastry with apples and other fruits in it, a pre-made apple cobbler, etc. And unfortunately, people are like sheep and they follow the trends that these companies come up with, so that now so many are conditioned to think of only processed foods.
When I mentioned to someone that a family member was doing the South Beach diet, her response was, oh, the packaged foods for the diet. It didn't even register with her that anyone can do the South Beach diet with regular foods, not the packaged ones they sell in the store.
ReplyHoly crap. That ingredients list is about twice as long as I'd imagine it would be.
At least they've got nuts and cottage cheese in there, though. But too bad it's low fat. Is South Beach still promoting that low-fat bullhonkey?
ReplyIt's amazing how lazy some people have become! The items in these vending machines is likely no different than those 100 calorie packs in terms of price. You pay a premium price for laziness! How hard would it be to make your own turkey and bacon wrap from home where you at least can control the ingredients, as well as the quality of ingredients!
Replyaside from thinking bout the simpsons episode with homer hoping for a candy bar but getting an apple from the vending machine... well it's 'healthier' than eating conventional fast food or the candybars you'd normally find, right?
ReplyOh, man, I would actually LOVE it is there was one of these in my building. Yesterday I forgot to pack an afternoon snack and had to drive to McDonalds to get one of their crappy Ceasar salads. I would would have much preferred just to get a bag of nuts or a cottage cheese, but there's no where near my office to get that. I don't really care about those long-ass lists of ingredients. They have to add preservatives so the food doesn't go bad. Apples would be the best, but how are you going to keep them fresh in a vending machine?
ReplyDear Jim,
We love your take on the South Beach vending machines so much that we quoted your comments and put a link to your site on our Serotonin Power Diet blog that will post 10/17:
http://www.serotoninpowerdiet.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry071016-210000
We also think vending machines should have more nutritious options and offer foods that are going to nourish the brain by boosting it's own serotonin.
We want our readers to benefit from your take on so many other topics as well so we added you to our blog roll. Do you think your readers would be interested in how everyday foods can prevent overeating, improve mood, and increase mental energy?
Sincerely,
ReplyJudy Wurtman, PhD and Nina Marquis, MD
co-authors, "The Serotonin Power Diet"
http://serotoninpowerdiet.com
I am absolutely guilty of going the pre-made microwavable way. I try and make healthy dinners and take leftovers to lunch, but honestly, sometimes I just do not have the strength.
All in moderation!
ReplyAn apple in the fridge can easily last 6 weeks. Without chemical help.
Replywow. thats weird. but consider this, on a trip to san diego early this year i walked into a super market in La Jolla, San diego, California and guess what i saw? A vending machine for IPODS!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyThis "food" is processed food, I would never recommend that people eat this as a way to increase their health and energy. If you just eat whole, healthy foods (yep, it means you do need to do some cooking) and eat them in the proper combination, the weight (fat, not muscle) will melt right off of you. But, the pre-packaged food makes it all seem easy.....I'd rather feel great and have an abundance of energy, I won't get that through this vending machine.
ReplyI'm torn about this concept and the comments... On one hand, it's harm reduction, i.e., you could be choosing chips and chocolate, but on the other hand, it does reinforce eating "fake food"... I do prefer making my own food, and eating non-processed as much as possible, but I also live in the real world where I occasionally go for the Lean Cuisines for lunch because its better than burgers and fries from a fast food joint. Like many things in life, there are few easy and simple answers!
ReplyI have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, it *is* processed food, and I'd rather be snacking on stuff I've brought from home. Veggies and hummus have been my savior on many an afternoon snack attack.
But, on the other hand, I think I'd rather have one of these at my office than the kind of vending machine we currently have! There's not a single item in our current vending machine that isn't laden with refined sugars/flours and fats.
I don't eat from the vending machine, but if I were in a pinch, it'd be nice to have the option of something that isn't pure, unadulterated junk, even if it is processed.
ReplyI agree it's not the *best* solution, but it at least seems a little better than the usual choices. I don't do the vending machine thing either, as a rule, but we all know there are times when emergencies happen. If this is creating a trend at least it's a step in the right direction. You keep hearing comments from fast food and such like: "We'll we wouldn't sell it if people didn't buy it". Well, maybe this is the beginning of a response to a public that is asking for better choices. We didn't get to this horribly un-healthy society overnight, and we aren't going to fix it overnight either.
ReplyI hear ya. I don't think I want to risk eating some of that food out of a vending machine like cottage cheese. I would think for a vending machine you would have to overkill the food with preservatives which would make it more toxic anyway.
ReplyI don't "do" vending machines, period. The food's always a rip off and it's never that fresh or healthy. Of course, with all the preservatives in that sandwich you listed, I'm sure it would last probably a good 3 months in the machine. I've always brought my own food to work and it usually works out fine. We have a vending machine that sells fresh apples and oranges and little cartons of milk (it also has prepackaged "sandwiches" and pies and crap). I sometimes will bring a baggie of cereal and buy a skim milk and an apple to round out my breakfast, but that's about as far as I'll go.
My big concern with the SBD machines is that people will see it and think "Oh, it's on the South Beach Diet, so it's gotta be healthy" and go nuts eating tons of nuts, prepackaged/overprocessed sandwiches and pizzas instead of learning how to eat REAL food. What's so hard about making your own turkey sandwich using actual turkey meat, two pieces of whole wheat bread, some mustard, lettuce and tomato? It's not like it's rocket science or anything.
ReplyNow see....I'm a fanatical South Beach gal. (85 pounds gone and maintaining) But I have NEVER gotten into the SB products. One look at the label and I knew it was all about the $$, not the health.
On my top five list of diet tips, PACK YOUR SNACKS is Very, very high.
ReplyYeah Yeah yeah, people are lazy, people are rotten, people suck, Americans especially and they're fat too.
ReplySTILL, how nice to have something like this on each floor of a hospital, or an auto shop or one of those places where people--including diabetics--find themselves stuck and needing some non-candy to bring themselves back to life.
Yes, of course the real gimmicky foods in there are terrible. Being stuck in a hospital or airport is not an ideal situation seldom features ideal nourishment. Still I think it would be great for any building that would normally feature a snack machine have one of these. Sometimes you're just stuck hungry and without food. Thats all there is too it, and if there is the option of nuts and cheese over cheeze doodles--hallelujah! Nobody is going to be forced to eat this food every day. Those who do so are, of course, unwise with their money as well as their diets.
If people are going to be lazy, they can find away to do it whether these machines exist or not. It does seem to me, to be a nice little thing to have for lazy an non-lazy alike when they find themselves working late or waiting long without a snack on hand.
It may be a rotten scheme to make money, but I'd LOVE to have cottage cheese available on my uni campus. All of our food options are crap. There is a cottage cheese plate, but it has about 1/2c of cottage cheese and 2 cups of fruit for $4!
ReplyIt's easy for us to say that it's better to bring your lunch and snacks because that's a habit we've already gotten into. I find vending machines to be way too much of a ripoff to even consider them, even if I want a candy bar. But there are plenty of people who make vending machines a regular part of their lives. Whether or not that's a good decision, having a machine with better options is a good thing. If they're going to do it no matter what, it might as well be better for them ... even if it's a wrap packed with so many chemicals to preserve it that it's hardly recognizable anymore. Ever look at the ingredient list on some of the usual vending machine suspects?
ReplyI do have to admit that I'd like the option of retrieving an apple or cottage cheese or even REAL cheese and crackers from a vending machine. I pack a lunch every day, but sometimes I need an extra apple or other snack and cottage cheese would be a better bet than a Coffee Crisp (mmmm)
ReplySouth Beach Diet is pretty popular I guess as they might come out with a eating joint or something. I would not doubt it as the amount of foods and meal replacements people have came up with. One things I wonder is why not just create healthy eating machines for schools and businesses.
ReplyOMG how much crap can they put in a wrap!
ReplyI grew up with a cherry tree, an apple tree and a pear tree in our back yard in Michigan. Fresh cherries from the tree, those were the days!
You think south beach developers could at least attempt to make some healthily foods for there thousands upon thousands of followers.
ReplyI imagine it's quite difficult to actually make decent food with a shelf-life compatible with vending machines. And since the South Beach diet seems to emphasize fresh and wholesome, the idea of a South Beach vending machine is definitely counter-intuitive.
I definately wouldn't mind having one of these machines around in a pinch though. Someone here emphasized "PACK YOUR SNACKS!", which I completely agree with. But I find the diet-wrecker is the occasional day where you're too busy to, and so you wind up with low blood sugar at a time when you can't go pick apples from the tree in your backyard. And if sugar-free jello is available, it might save you from the snickers bar.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Agatson is making money hand over fist on these products. But considering I learned about this diet off a borrowed copy of the book, I guess I don't mind overpaying a little from time to time for something that really has changed my life.
ReplyI am on the south beach diet and I agree that processed is NOT the way to go. I make all of my wraps at home, so I know they are not processed, and the only food I get from cans is beans because they would take so long to make myself, and being a full time student and worker that is not an option. I prefer just making my own food instead of buying "South Beach", if I have a craving for something sweet I eat a scoop of organic peanut butter which on the ingredients is lists "peanuts" as the only ingredient. A south beach diet vending machine is ridiculous, people need to learn to prepare their own snacks.
ReplyI am sure it is much easier to complain and call people lazy than to realize that the idea of improving the quality of foods in vending machines is a step in the right direction. It may not be as healthy as a fresh apple or making a home made lunch but it is better than most quick alternatives. All you complainers- enjoy your snickers and big mac...I would rather eat from the Kraft vending machine...not just for the healthier (not I did not say healthy...just healthier) food than run into any of you- I trust you wont be in line???
ReplyGimmick? Yeah. But, what isn't? That being said.. I'd like to have one of these machines at my office!
Ohh, and that wrap you all are complaining about? It's probably better than the Hershey bar you'd otherwise be stuck with..
ReplyI am pretty impressed with the vending machines that are being made now days. I never thought a machine like this would be made!
ReplyI have to agree... I can't believe how far vending machines have come!
ReplyI wish they would bring back the Sesame chicken wraps.
ReplyWouldn't that be great! It was my favorite..YUMMY