Healthy Vending Machines Business
Perpetuating Health While Creating Profit is the Only Business We Know
Although there are hundreds of healthy brands and products to choose from, I’ve taken it upon myself to compile a list of 5 products that will help attract customers to your healthy vending machine.
VENDING MACHINES WITH HEALTHY VENDING MACHINESOne way schools are benefiting from introducing healthy vending machines into their food curriculum (so to speak) is by helping create healthier students. Students, who are healthier, by definition, eat less sugar and are therefore less distracted when they are in class. Let’s let history speak for itself. 50 years ago ADD and ADHD, also known as attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder respectively, were, for the most part, unheard of. The majority of doctors and scientists attribute the fact that ADD and ADHD are much more prevalent today to excess sugar consumption. Healthy vending machines allow students to get their “sweet” taste buds satisfied, while still eating healthy.
Given today’s economic issues and their subsequent effect on our educational system, schools have no choice but to become more 
and more self-sufficient. The issue most schools have isn’t how they can make money. After all, the income possibilities are more than we can list here. The REAL issue is, how they can make money while helping students achieve their potential – in their health as well as education.
The healthy vending machines business can bring a significant amount of income to a school. However, before we delve into income, let’s briefly touch upon another, more beneficial outcome as a result of bringing healthy vending machines to your school. Your students health will change for the better. Healthy vending machines are fully stocked with popular, delicious, and healthy products. They look cool, dispense hot food, cold drinks, healthy snacks, and freshly brewed coffee (for the teachers of course!). As a school you will be able to close the junk food-selling snack shop (save yourself from paying someone an hourly wage or keeping an inventory). Healthy vending machines are low maintenance (they correct their own mistakes), take credit cards, and feature some very cool technology (touch screens!). All of this increases your school’s bottom line, which in turn, will help your students with new class materials, more field trips, and what most students hope for – a really, really, cool prom!
I’m no expert nor am I affiliated with any of the products/brands that I am about to name. I will simply be giving my opinion. Why does my opinion matter you ask? That’s a valid question that can be answered very simply – I’m the “every day consumer.” That is to say, I use healthy vending machines all of the time – well, as often as I can find one. Otherwise, I’m stuck looking for a healthy product in one of those other vending machines that look like they’re from the stone age.
Here is an example of my week and you can be the judge as to whether or not my opinion holds any water: I’m at school from 8 am to 3 pm where my breakfast and lunch, for the most part, come from the vending machine. Then, around 4:30 pm, I get to the gym where I buy a drink (which is my #1). I go to the gym about 3 – 4 times per week and I’m at school 4 days out of the week. Conservatively, I spend about 28$ per week; give or take about 9 dollars for the days that the vending machine runs out of the healthy stuff and I have to hoof my way down to the snack shop between classes (that’s 3 flights of stairs both ways – feel the burn!). The point I’m trying to make simply is, given my circumstances (already mentioned), I am up close and personal with these machines on a daily basis. Does that make me an expert? No, but I’m not claiming to be one! [In my best Michael Buffer voice] Here are the top five most important products to a profitable healthy vending machines business in my opinion:
#5 – Horizon Chocolate Milk or Silk Soymilk
Okay, so I’m cheating a bit by adding a 6th product in here. My intentions are good, I assure you! I’ve
never tried Silk – actually 
I’ve never tried any kind of milk other than the stuff that comes out of cows. I included it for all of you lactose intolerant folk out there! I know I’m thoughtful no comments necessary in that regard [insert smiley face here]! My mom says Silk is delicious and I trust her so I would implore you to do the same. After all, she’s a great cook which implicitly means that she knows tasty when she tastes it.
As for Horizon chocolate milk, I mean what can I say – this stuff is delicious! It’s got that nostalgic taste that reminds you of elementary school; well, at least for me! Did I mention it sells out frequently? Well, it does. Horizon chocolate milk is one of those little things throughout your day that put a smile on your face as you reminisce about beating your PE teacher in hand ball – okay, maybe the last part is just me. Are you a chocoholic? Check out this cool article on Top 5 healthy chocolate snacks.
#4 – “5-Hour Energy” Drink
This is my “go-to” energy drink when I can get it from the vending machine. It comes in awesome flavors and is all natural. Personally, I can’t stomach the other energy drinks on the market today. That’s not to say they don’t do their job. They do; but then you suffer the consequences when that dreaded “crash” hits later in the day. I’ve never crashed drinking this stuff and it really helps get me, as well as most of my peers, through the day. Long story short, this stuff works for me so it’s my number four.
#3 – Stacy’s Garlic Parmesan Chips
Do you ever have trouble describing something that you really like because you almost don’t know where you want to start? Well
_ I have that problem frequently – especially with food (I’m no food critic, okay?). All I can say about these things is that they’re delicious and very addicting. I have them almost every time I see them – they’re that good! I’ve only tried this flavor so I wont vouch for any others, but if you see these things around, first, consider yourself lucky because they sell out quick around my neck of the woods, and second … try them and then write me to tell me how right I am.
#2 – Fiji Water
I used to be that person who would say “water is water and it all tastes the same.” This was the case until I tried Fiji. Fiji water is delicious and the fact that it comes from one of the last natural artesian aquifers is a big luxurious plus. It’s filled with minerals and is soft to the palette. It’s a flavor all it’s own. Try it yourself and compare it with your generic filtered or bottled water. If I can tell that there is a difference, I’m confident you will be able to as well. It’s rare to find Fiji available in the local vending machine (the one in my university’s building) after 2 in the afternoon.
And the #1 Most Important Product to a Profitable Healthy Vending Machines Business is … [drum roll please!]
I can’t say enough about this stuff. Vitamin water gives you a little boost to your energy, it comes in endless delicious flavors, and it’s refreshing. I drink Vitamin water on a daily basis. It’s a must at the gym, during lunch, and at least one more before dinner. It sells out all of the time at the gym, snack shop, and the local vending machine. This product is a gold mine because, as the vending operator, you can test out which flavors sell fastest. This really helps with turning profit fast – and that, after all, is the bottom line, isn’t it?
All of the products mentioned were noted because I observed that they sold very well and I personally like them. The balance of these two factors influenced my decision (keep in mind I am only representing one small market within a university) in choosing them as my top 5 most important products to a profitable healthy vending machines business.
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