Vending Machines

 Vending machines, are they a good idea or just a misunderstanding for a quick diabetic snack? Schools usually just plop these down, wait for the hungry hippos to come around the corner and make them some money. Most of the time they try to advertise them as “healthy” but it’s not the truth according to a nationwide survey of vending machines in middle schools and high schools, 75% of the drinks and 85% of the snacks are bad nutritional value. That’s a pretty big amount of the stuff that’s been given out. So are they helping kids get in shape, or is it just a big scream for them to plop what students like the most and what they would buy most of?

As you can see in this picture schools aren’t doing a good job at “staying healthy” as schools advertise themselves as, sodas, energy drinks, even more, unhealthy drinks. The term “diet” doesn’t mean it’s all of a sudden “healthy”. A diet Coca-cola has 40 mg of sodium, a Powerade Zero has 240 mg of sodium which would be 10 % of the whole drink in itself. And schools still fight over who is truly the healthiest school. Also, 74% of middle schools have vending machines and a staggering 98% of High Schools also have vending machines, so it’s obvious they’re not really leaving anytime soon.  

From my experience of using the vending machines here at school, they’re great and it’s not because it’s “healthy” but because the snacks are good. Usually when foods with “diet” on the label don’t taste good because the sugar is taken out, but they taste good without the sugars. But that still doesn’t mean that they are “healthy” since there are actually other unhealthy factors added to the food. Oven-baked Cheetos that I actually just ate about 7 minutes ago are actually pretty bad for you. They have 5 grams of fat and 220 mg of sodium. Now, these don’t sound bad, but for a little snack-size bag that’s a significant amount.

Now people aren’t really aware of these because schools advertise them as a quick hunger fix. Earlier today I saw them stacking back the vending machines with snacks and you should see the amount of money getting taken out! Schools make an average 3.25 mil to 3.75 mil that’s their profit just from vending machines themselves! Honestly, schools are just scheming us throughout. Schools should be required to offer more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Now you tell me what any of those snacks inside vending machines have that is enlisted with one of those 3 requirements.

 So what I’m really trying to get out are the facts that schools aren’t as healthy as they seem, they are sacrificing students getting in better shape to them getting more money. Despite all of this you betcha I’m still buying snacks if I’m hungry because the snacks taste good. But I just wanted to open your eyes to what’s really behind the machines.