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May 13, 2004
Prairie Fare: Is There Anything Nutritious in Vending Machines?
Vending machines are quick and handy snack dispensers always ready to silence grumbling stomachs and quench parched palates. It’s easy to insert some money, make a selection and be rewarded with a snack or beverage. Trouble is, most of the snacks in vending machines, particularly school vending machines, do not earn a “gold star” for nutritional quality. Recently a study of the contents of 1420 vending machines in 251 schools across 24 states was coordinated by the Center for Science in the Public Interest and conducted by volunteers. North Dakota was one of the states that participated in the study. The good news: some slots contained fruits and vegetables. The bad news: Just 26 of the 13,500 slots studied in schools across the U.S. met that goal. If you have a sweet, fat or salty “tooth”, however, you’re in luck. About 80 percent of the snack foods sold in vending machines nationwide were filled with candy, chips and sweet baked goods (like cake or cookies). If you are thirsty, you would have plenty of options for extra calories in your diet. About 70 percent of the available choices were sweetened beverages, sports drinks and juice beverages with less than 50 percent juice. Just 14 percent of the soft drink choices were “diet” and 12 percent of the drinks were water. Milk was a rarity, accounting for just 5 percent of beverage choices. So what’s the big deal? Eating lots of empty calories can make any of us a “bigger deal.” An extra 3500 calories can add a pound of fat to the body. For most, weight goes on easier than it comes off. Overall, healthy eating plays a major role in our overall health, especially heart health. It is possible to make healthy choices from a vending machine. Based on the results from this recent study, we might have to look a little harder. Check out the slots carefully, especially if snacking from vending machines is a regular part of your routine. Look for dried or fresh fruits, nuts, whole grain cereal bars, baked chips or crackers. Instead of sweetened beverages, consider water, 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice, low-fat milk or diet soda. Just think: if the slots with the healthier foods and beverages were suddenly empty on a regular basis, we might see some of the “less healthy” options losing their spots. It might be worth our collective effort. Concerned parents can work with their school administrators or parent teacher organizations, or they can become part of an advisory group to change vending machine content in schools. For the time being, think about ways to bypass vending machines. To save some calories, keep some healthier beverage options like water, milk or juice available in office refrigerators or coolers. Stock a drawer with shelf-stable snacks like dried fruit, nuts, graham crackers, single serving fruit portions or a snack mix like the following recipe.
### Source:
Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu |
Market Advisor: |
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North Dakota State University |
