While vending machines aren’t the place for getting all your daily nutritional needs met, some Sinclair students and faculty think healthier choices in the vending machines would be a nice option to have available.
One of those people is Sociology student Danielle Jones-Buck.
“In my opinion, the foods and drinks [in the vending machines] are sodium and sugar-laden. They are also heavily processed,” she said.
Jones-Buck said the foods offered seemed unhealthy for minds in action, and suggested fresh fruit, juices and smoothies be offered.
That sentiment was shared by Tamicka Wilson.
She thought the drink options were fine but the snack choices should be less junk foods and more healthy foods.
“We need things that [will] stimulate the mind while in school all day, [that will] keep us going.” Wilson said.
The idea that snacks containing high amounts of fat or refined sweeteners affect learning and memory in negative ways has been studied in lab animals at the University of California’s Department of Physiological Science. Study results noted, “A high-fat, refined sugar diet reduces hippocampal brain-derived neurotropic factor, neuronal plasticity, and learning.”
This study which is cited on the PubMed.org website for the US National Library of Medicine, said that two months of lab animals being on a high fat refined sugar diet was enough to affect their learning performance.
Aramark general manager Tim Sweet, who is responsible for 105 vending machines across campus, said he realizes that many of the options in the vending machines are not that healthy even in the machine devoted to healthy options, labeled “Just 4 U.” Every vending machine has a healthy option, but only one machine is dedicated to strictly healthy options.
Aramark has put labels on vending machines to help students make better choices with healthy options. The labels tell how many calories are in a snack, if they are organically grown, the carb and fat content of an item and if it is made with whole grains.
Colored labels demonstrate the health level of the product. Green represents low-fat, blue is for low- carb and orange for 100 calories.
Sweet said some of the items that made it into the Just 4 U vending machine were there because they were less than 100 calories, like the Skittles or Rice Krispies.
Sweet said whatever sells is what they put in the machines.
“We try to adapt to people’s changing tastes.” He said. “A lot of people come down … and say ‘put this in, put that in’ and I put it in … and then it just sits there.”
Aramark Operations has tried gluten free items, but they did not sell. If there is a demand for a specific item Sweet said Aramark tries to adapt to the people’s taste.
But for some students the options in the vending machines are not seen as healthy options.
“Seeing the food and drink options in the vending machines makes me sad. Even the vending machine that says it is the healthy option is really not that great if you know anything about nutrition and harmful ingredients,” Student Emily Axt said.
Yolanda Burgos-Olinger, a Spanish teacher, said she thinks the vending options are, “awful and unhealthy.”
“I think they should have organic options, stuff without high fructose corn syrup.” She said, adding that she brings food with her from home.
However, some students feel fine with the choices available, Deb Estep said she thought the vending machines had reasonable food options.
“I personally love the variety,” student Joe Penrod said.
He said he would like to see a rotation of Reese’s products and, “Sugar Babies never hurt anyone either!”
Sweet said he was willing to put whatever sells into the machines and that Aramark considers students suggestions to the healthy options.