Pasco County (FL) Schools has seen success in deploying healthy snack vending machines in its middle and high schools, reports the Tampa Times. The district put two machines, one of them refrigerated, in each of the schools with items like baked chips, reduced calorie muffins, carrots and ranch dressing and even hummus, all of which meet Alliance for a Healthier Generation guidelines.
The machines have modestly impacted cafeteria a la carte sales but have more than made up the difference. One school reported a one-day decline of $15 in a la carte sales but $50 in vending sales. The county is looking into integrating the vending machines with the meal system so that students could buy lunches with their meal accounts, reducing lines in the cafeteria.