Snackdown I: Fresh fruit vs. vending machine fare

snackdown1

Simple intuition tells us that when it comes to office snacks, fresh fruit is a healthy alternative to the denizens of the vending machine. But how much difference does it really make? The answer is: quite a lot more than you’d expect!

Let’s examine the difference between some of the fruits you’ll find in your basket from ORCHARD At The OFFICE, and some of the candies you’ll find in your vending machine.

Bananas vs. Candy Bars

Here, we’re examining the difference between one medium-sized banana and one regular-sized candy bar. Here’s a side-by-side comparison (banana information first):

Calories: 105 vs. 271

Saturated Fat: 1% U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) vs. 26% RDA

Sodium: 1 mg vs. 140 mg

Potassium: 12% RDA vs. 5% RDA

Vitamin C: 17% RDA vs. 0% RDA

Apples vs. Potato Chips

One medium apple is compared to a snack-sized bag of potato chips:

Calories: 95 vs. 150

Saturated Fat: 0% RDA vs. 16% RDA

Sodium: 2 mg vs. 7 mg

Potassium: 6% RDA vs. 9% RDA

Vitamin C: 14% RDA vs. 10% RDA

Oranges vs. Cookies

This is the nutritional data from one medium-sized orange compared to a snack package of cookies:

Calories: 62 vs. 270

Saturated Fat: 0% RDA vs. 12% RDA

Sodium: 0 mg vs. 370 mg

Potassium: 7% RDA vs. 1% RDA

Vitamin C: 116% RDA vs. 0% RDA

When you see the numbers right next to each other, the healthy choice becomes clear. The good news is that eating fruit becomes habit-forming! Soon you won’t even miss that candy bar, the bag of chips, or the cookies. You’ll be craving the fresh fruit provided by ORCHARD At The OFFICE – and you’ll feel better for it!