Healthy School Vending Machines – the Better Choice for Your Students

Intelfoods cares about the new generation and does its best to promote a healthy lifestyle in schools. If you are Superintendent, Principal, or School Administrator, you also care about providing healthy vending solutions for your school.

Thanks to Intelligent Foods On Demand, you can create a completely custom vending platform for any school and give both your students and staff an unprecedented level of convenience.

The advanced technology found across our entire platform can go as far as providing students with full meals, which automates the flow of food service in busy cafeterias during peak meal hours.

At the start of the 2014/15 school year, the Federal Government put in place new regulations governing all snacks and foods sold in schools – including vending machines.

Called the Smart Snacks in School initiative, the program outlines detailed nutritional criteria and is designed to reinforce healthy eating habits.

Start designing your new healthy school vending machine and select the products (your school gets a $500 signing bonus)- call (800) 915-9643

What are the benefits of having healthy vending machines in your school?

Throughout history, schools and vending machines have always gone hand in hand. However, what used to be a humble snack machine sitting in the corner of a cafeteria can now be something much more.

Thanks to Intelligent Foods on Demand, you can have a complete retail vending machine for any school and give both your students and staff an unprecedented level of convenience.

The advanced technology found in all of our machines can go as far as providing students with full meals, which automates the flow of food service in busy cafeterias during lunchtime.

Additionally, healthy food and beverages in school vending machines promote better health and create a culture of quality food awareness.

Safe and Convenient Full Service Solution to Healthy Vending

In addition to providing students with everyday drinks and snacks, our school vending machine solutions can complement the role of a real-life cafeteria staff.

By using our proprietary software, you can sync your machine with the requirements of the Federal Free and Reduced Meal program, making it easier than ever to provide a quality school food service.

Approved by the USDA, our retail solutions can help administrators save payroll while saving valuable lunchroom space for crowded schools. Students can purchase food and snacks from our machines using traditional cash or credit cards.

Improve the eating habits of your students with healthy options

Our complete solution brings a multitude of security and safety benefits to your place of education. With the wide range of point-of-sale technology available, you can provide students and faculty with nutritional information on every product in the machine, which is more important than ever when vending to today’s youth.

School vending machines are an inventory worker’s dream come true, as everything sold in our machines is easily tracked and accounted for. Whether you need to ensure you are complying with your school’s free meal standards or want to minimize students’ absence from the premises, our vending machines are the perfect answer.

In which locations do we provide our profitable vending services?

We cover the majority of the NY Tri-State Area. If your school is located in that area, don’t hesitate and give us a call at (800) 915-9643. Here are some of the locations in which you can see our profitable vending machines.

• Guaranteed 100% USDA-compliant products for more nutritious snack selections, including whole grains, low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables and leaner protein.
• State-of-the-art healthy touchscreen vending machines with nutrition information readily displayed for each product that your students love.
• Your school receives commissions on all product sales and digital advertising revenue generated by the machines.  If you opt-in to the SnackNation Fundraising Opportunity, your school receives additional funds.
• Intelfoods offers an unprecedented level of service to trade schools, colleges and universities. Targeted standards allowing for variation between elementary, middle and high school age groups.

Are vending machines good for schools?

If vending machines are filled with unhealthy snacks such as potato chips, pop tarts, and cookies, they are not a good option for students. Schools can choose a different path and opt for foods that are both healthy and delicious.

If students have appetizing snacks that are within easy reach and they can eat them between classes, they won’t go to stores or other vending machines and get junk food which is bad for their health. Schools should look for whole foods with small amounts of added fat, sugar, and sodium.

So, if the vending machines are filled with the proper low-calorie and nutritious snacks, they are good for the school and more importantly, they are good for the schoolchildren. If want to learn more about our school vending machines, send us a message through our contact form and we will answer all of your questions.

School vending machines can be used to promote healthier alternatives among students which can replace the junk foods that they would normally consume between classes.

These healthier versions include things such as oven-baked potato chips and rice Krispies treats. If kids get used to eating these foods, they are going to look for them even when they are not in school and that will surely benefit their overall health.

What are healthy snacks in school vending machines?

According to the Smart Snacks in School rules from the US Department of Agriculture, all snacks and drinks which are sold separately from the school meals must meet or exceed certain nutritional standards.

Requirements for the snacks

• Less than or equal to 200 calories if it is a snack and less than or equal to 350 calories if it is an entire meal.
• Less than or equal to 200 mg of sodium if it is a snack and less than or equal to 480 mg of sodium if it is an entire meal.
• The total fat should be less than or equal to 35 % of the calories.
• The saturated fat should be less than or equal to 10 % of the calories.
• The snacks should not have any trans fats.

Requirements for the beverages

• No regulation or portion limits to the water(both normal and with carbonation).
• Milk and milk substitutes such as soy milk – they can be flavored or unflavored and fat-free or low-fat.
• 100 % fruit or vegetable juice – also, ones that are diluted with water (with or without carbonation). They should not have any added sweeteners.

The portions of the drinks that can be sold are no more than 8 ounces in elementary schools and no more than 12 ounces in middle and high schools.

There are a lot of healthy foods that are good options for school vending machines and meet the above-mentioned standards. For example, you can put items such as 100 % whole-grain granola bars, unsalted nuts, fruits, and vegetables.

The beverages can include things such as unsweetened coffee and tea, 100 % juices with no added sweeteners such as sugar, and other low-calorie drinks. These snacks and drinks will improve the overall health of the students who attend that particular school.

Why do we need vending machines in schools?

This is an easy way to encourage students of all ages and even teachers and other people who work in the school to have a healthier lifestyle.

If you want these new healthy snacks and drinks to be appealing to students, you can ask them in the form of a survey about what healthy foods they would like to have access to in these vending machines.

After the survey, you are going to have a clear idea of which items you should put in your school vending machines. Also, these items will be a good alternative for schoolchildren who don’t like the meals that are served during lunchtime.

This way, the students will remain in the school area and won’t have to go to stores or fast food places to get unhealthy snacks and drinks.