Photo Credit: Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation
The push to encourage patrons to make healthier choices has trickled all the way down to the vending machines that used to supply Snickers, M&Ms, and Doritos in recreation centers. And while most would say that residents are thrilled at the prospect of being able to choose healthier snacks, is this really being done so in practice? The responses are as mixed as the food choices in the machines.
“The community loved the idea that we were doing healthy vending with lots of great feedback and kudos, but frankly, in practice, we didn’t see people clamoring to eat the healthy options,” says Susan Kalish, director of marketing and communications for the city of Arlington Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources in Virginia. “Partly this could be due to the fact that the healthy vending line was a bit more expensive than the traditional junk food you find in vending machines. What’s more, the healthy brands don’t have the same brand recognition as Doritos or M&Ms.”
The Government Steps In
Although companies such as Fresh Healthy Vending and HUMAN Healthy Vending have been around for several years, more people took notice after the USDA implemented its “Smart Snacks in Schools” regulations in February. The mandates restrict snacks in vending machines to: