Forget what you thought you knew about vending machines ladies—‘cause the stereotypes are being turned on their head. After years of only being able to access sugar-laden processed foods from vending machines in the form of chips, chocolate and the occasional pre-packaged pasty, the next few years will see the rise of infinitely more health-conscious choices.
‘Cause let’s face it—vending machines are hella convenient. They’re generally affordable and super-fast, so it makes sense that they have a place in our fast-paced lifestyles. What doesn’t make sense, however, is that we should have to compromise our health goals in order to access this convenience. Here’s what you need to know about healthy vending machines.
A double whammy of benefits
While health is obviously the top priority for companies that are serving up fresh, wholesome vending machines, the majority are also tooting a second focus for their mission: sustainability.
Because alongside being nutritionally devoid, the overwhelming majority of vending machine food comes with an excess of packaging that is non-recyclable and simply winds up in landfill. New York based company MyFreshBowl are serving their fresh salads and breakfast options in glass mason jars, and have claimed that they’ve seen great success in having the jars returned for reuse.
The mass appeal
Another of the biggest drawcards of the healthy vending machine life is that they negate the need for expensive cafe costs, but still enable health-conscious food to enter the mainstream. Ultimately, a lot of people want to be healthy—but don’t have enough time to sit down in a cafe or restaurant to eat something that meets that goal. Healthy vending machines bridge the gap between convenience and health—hopefully indicating a future where the two are very much intertwined.
Growing popularity
Image: facebook.com/farmersfridge
Chicago-based startup, Farmer’s Fridge, currently has 185 machines in Chicago and Milwaukee, with more set to open across the Midwest. According to the Chicago Tribune, this translates into the serving of upwards of 15,000 every day. A pretty good start, right?
Similarly, Australian-based company All Real Food is serving up healthy food with no refined sugar, preservatives, colours or artificial flavouring in any of it. Rapidly growing in popularity in hospitals, the company also offer paleo, dairy-free, gluten-free and vegetarian options in order to cater to popular dietary requirements. We’re smitten!
