Maximising Health & Convenience:
The Best Vending Machine Choices
Did you know that the Queensland Government has the public aim and strategy in place to make Queenslanders ‘Australia’s healthiest people’? For us to reach that aim we need constant promotion of, and access to, healthy options. Including the best vending machine choices. Yes, ‘healthy choices’ and ‘vending machines’ can go together! We’ve got proof!
After the government publicly announced this healthier intention for the entire population, it set about implementing some big changes in one of its biggest sectors – the public health sector. And let us tell you, there have been some big changes!
The ‘Healthy Food and Drink Supply Strategy for Queensland Health Facilities Evaluation Report’ found a lot of great results, even just a couple of years into the new approach. Great results that showed not only that more ‘GREEN category’ foods were available and less ‘RED’. But also that the active promotion of anything other than GREEN category foods had significantly reduced, including for those making the best vending machine choices.
This GREEN, AMBER and RED categorising is about having a widely accepted and understood standard of easily categorising different food options. GREEN are healthy, ‘eat regularly’ foods. AMBER are the ‘eat sometimes and in small portions’ foods. And RED are the ‘eat rarely or never’ options. This colour coding system corresponds with the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
The Health & Convenience Stats Gecko Vending are helping to Revolutionise
Here at Gecko Vending we found the following statistics from the report most encouraging:
- 74% of the public health facilities surveyed reported that RED category food and drinks had been completely removed from vending machines. An additional 10% indicated that these had been removed from some vending machines in the facility.
- 69% of the vending machines covered in the survey ONLY promoted GREEN category foods. (‘Promotion’ being defined in this case as the products that are chosen to feature at eye level.)
HOWEVER, we found the following piece of information a pretty discouraging reflection on the old way of operating a vending machine business.
‘… all but one district contact reported difficulties in changing snack vending machines. While RED category foods were easy to remove, it was difficult to obtain a consistent supply of AMBER and GREEN category products. As a result, some facilities chose to remove snack vending machines and others continued to stock RED category foods.’
On behalf of the vending machine industry, we’re really sorry that some people are still having those kinds of experiences. And we’re committed to doing better – for the sake of your health, the reputation of the vending machine industry, and the ongoing success of our own business!
The Best Vending Machine Choices Shouldn’t Be Hard To Access!
Gecko Vending believe that changing the options available in your vending machines should be easy! We also believe that you should have plenty of choices; plenty of healthy GREEN category choices. Did you know that we have dozens of healthy snack options? We also have a partnership with youfoodz that means we can provide fresh, healthy, complete meals in the convenience of a vending machine. Finally, we are always open to new product recommendations and expanding the range we can offer.
So yes, Gecko Vending have an ample selection of the best vending machine choices… AND we make changing or upgrading your vending machine services easy. We are available 24/7 for all enquiries or issues, and we can have healthier, more interesting vending machine services in place in your business or other venue within a couple of days. Contact us now to upgrade your vending machine choices from RED to GREEN and help make it even easier for your staff and team to become the healthiest they’ve ever been!
