Yo!Naturals: Healthy Vending Machines

FitSugar — Thu, 17 May 2007 08:45:00 -0700

Wouldn't it be great if you could get your favorite health food from a vending machine? Well, my buddy YumSugar just told me about the San Diego based company YoNaturals, and they are bringing health food to the ultimate icon of snacking convenience - the vending machine.

YoNaturals is on the front line in the battle against junk food vending machine, and I wholeheartedly applaud their efforts. In their Yo!Zone and Yo!Thirsty machines you won't find the junk food staples of your youth. Gone are the fluorescent orange cheddar crackers filled with hydrogenated oil laden peanut butter, in their place you will find Annie's Organic Cheddar Bunnies and Pirate Booty. Instead of candy bars, you can choose from a selection of energy bars, like some of my faves - Luna, Clif and LARABARS. Soda is replaced with organic milk and organic juices. Yippee!!!

Yo!Naturals distribution is growing ever wider and you should be on the look out for their machines in hospitals, hotels, offices and schools - you know large, kind of institutional places. Just the kinds of places where you need a snack and can never find anything healthy to satisfy your hunger.

Fittingly Mad: Crap in the Snack Machine

FitSugar — Sat, 19 May 2007 02:30:00 -0700

Doritos, Fritos, Oreos, gummy bears, Lays potato chips, Snickers, M&Ms, Butterfingers, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey Bars, Lifesavers, Twizzlers! I know this sounds like a PMS wish list, but this is the "food" in the snack vending machine where I work. You call that crap a snack?!

I'm usually one to bring my lunch and snacks from home, and this is a major reason why - It's hard to find healthy food in a pinch. It's really becoming annoying! I mean, what kind of message is this sending to kids (and adults) when everywhere they turn is sugar, partially hydrogenated oil and trans fat!

I wish we could replace all those crappy snacks with healthy, energy-giving munchies that are made of actual food. Here's what I'd put in my healthy vending machine:

granola bars like ones made by Kashi and
Whole grain crackers like TLC crackers
Tiny tubs of real peanut butter (just peanuts - no sugar or corn syrup)
LARABARS
Packages of mixed nuts
Packages of dried fruit
Bear Naked Trail Mix
Nature's choice cereal bars
Newman's Own Organic pretzels
Gardin of Eatin' Tortilla chips (I love Pico de Gallo)
Endangered Species Chocolate bars

Fit's Tips: Until YoNaturals, the San Diego based company with the healthy vending machine idea gets its machines into the world, be your own vending machine. I always keep granola bars and ziploc baggies of trail mix in my purse and gym bag just in case.

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