It used to be that healthy food and fast food were in two separate categories. These days, those lines are being blurred. In some cases, the lines are nonexistent thanks to healthy vending machine options.
There are more and more people choosing to seek out healthy choices these days, and if your vending machine doesn’t have something for them, they will move on to another option. To get the most out of your vending machine, don’t underestimate the importance of healthy vending machines.
Here are some ways to incorporate healthy vending machine options into the selection you provide your employees, customers and other guests.
Beverages
When it comes to beverages in vending machines, more and more people are moving beyond sodas. Often, they’re looking for options with less sugar or more nutritional benefits or both. Consider the case of bottled water. Just 20 years ago, how much bottled water would you see in a vending machine? These days, half the items in a given vending machine may be bottled water!
It’s not just water that is encroaching on soda’s sugary stranglehold on the vending machine beverage world. Unsweetened drinks like tea and coffee, dairy-free milks, juices and “flavored water” options like La Croix are becoming more popular as people get more health-conscious with their beverage choices.
Snack foods
Vending machines are often now required to disclose calorie information for food products, leading to people leaning more toward healthy choices when they’re presented with this information at the vending machine. This comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently finalized a rule mandating that if you own or operate 20 or more vending machines, you must provide calorie information.
Vending machines used to be known for carrying only the most immediately-satisfying snack foods. These usually also would have a long shelf life. That led to most of the snack options in a vending machine usually being labeled as “junk food.” But that’s not the case anymore. In addition to a change in customers’ appetites and preferences, there are many more options for healthy snacks that can be stocked in a vending machine.
When you’re looking for healthy snacking options, think beyond the chip bag. For example, nuts contain healthy fats and fiber, and pretzels can be a satisfying, crunchy option in lieu of fried potatoes that won’t do nearly as much damage to one’s waistline. Trail mix and granola bars can also be a satisfying, yet healthy, option that can settle even the strongest snack craving.
Health-themed vending machines
With this trend toward healthier eating spreading into the world of vending machines, it might make sense to make a health-themed vending machine. If a customer is leaning toward or looking for healthy choices anyway, it might make sense to stock a vending machine or micro market with predominantly healthy options.
When you need more healthy vending machine options, or if you would like to have a vending machine full of healthy options installed, contact Pacific Vending Service for all your vending machine needs today.