Healthy Vending In Schools To Help Combat Childhood Obesity

Healthy Vending Machine

In 2006, former President Bill Clinton announced a breakthrough initiative with several leading food manufacturers in an attempt to make school snacks healthier. As a result, junk food vending machines that once lined school hallways were removed and unfortunately, the much needed revenue they provided schools went with it. Thankfully, an innovative new program is changing the face of vending machines in schools to one that is healthy and furthermore that will return that lost revenue.

The National Health and Nutrition examination survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that one third of US children are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. In total approximately twenty five million US children and adolescents are overweight or nearly overweight.

The YoNaturals healthy vending machine program provides schools with the opportunity to play an important role in helping improve the quality of children's diets and in fighting today's childhood obesity epidemic. Healthystudentvending.com highlights the many features and benefits of the YoNaturals Healthy Vending Program. The program provides a simple 7-step guide that offers advice and resources for school decision makers on how to kick-start a healthy vending program. A significant element of the program includes the wide array of all-natural and organic snacks and beverages schools can select from. Each one of the 150+ snack choices selected for the healthy vending machine has gone through three rigorous tests -- meeting the nutritional state guidelines, being reasonable in cost, and passing student taste tests. Student participation is an integral step of the program in successfully promoting the healthy vending machine to the school population. A small group of students -- including athletes, student government representatives and school nutrition committee members -- have taken part in taste-testing all of the items eligible for inclusion in the machine. Once desired products are identified, the entire student body is given the opportunity to sample the items.

Students will never be without their favorite healthy snack because each healthy vending machine is equipped with a high-tech 24/7 monitoring system, notifying YoNaturals operators of when products or services are needed at no- cost to the schools.

Schools across the country have already started taking advantage of the YoNaturals Healthy Vending Program to improve student performance in the classroom and beyond. "We're very pleased to be part of this program because it enables us to provide our students with healthier food choices throughout the day." said Patty Allyn, Assistant Principal of McQueen High School in Reno, NV. "We teach our students about the effects of unhealthy snacks, and how they can start now to develop healthy habits that will last into their adult lives. This vending machine puts those lessons into practice."

Dale Reeves, Activities Director of Black Hills High School in Olympia, WA also believes that healthy vending give students the opportunity to take a critical step forward in learning how to live healthier lives. "We're excited about this opportunity for our students to have choices in a healthy spectrum. Instead of waiting for a state mandate, our school took a leadership position and was pro-active in participating in a healthy vending program. It is the school's responsibility to not only encourage healthy snack choices but provide them as well."

When it comes to childhood obesity and poor nutrition, schools need to decide if they want to be part of the problem or part of the solution. Please show your support in helping schools become places where kids can build healthier eating habits.