Despite how many people out there might like or dislike them, Vending machines are nothing new at all. They have been around for several years on end and have been an integral part of the previous generations childhood and adulthood as well. You can be certain of that fact.
However, of late, they have fallen into disuse for the most part, simply because people claim that they only serve junk food and unhealthy snacks to young kids.
While this may be true, what a lot of people fail to see is the fact that the fault lies with the choice of food more than the vending machines being a problem themselves. Even though they may be a tad outdated as compared to certain other modern technologies, dismissing them outright is hardly the way to go.
First and foremost, we have to get rid of the common mentality that vending machines in schools are bad. In fact, if planned well, it will turn out to be a great idea that will work out for the best for everyone across the board. You can be sure of that fact. On that very note, let us take a good and comprehensive look at the top four reasons why having a vending machine in schools is a good idea:-
The advantage of low cost: Here’s the fact of the matter – For the most part, kids don’t have much money at all with the exception of the rich ones, of course. Even when there is a proper canteen, not much can be bought on a daily basis. With the vending machine, every single child has full access to the same snacks priced at a very reasonable rate. Plus, since it is a machine, there is no problem of prices being raised at all.
The aspect of forgotten lunches: Children forgetting their lunches is quite a common thing due to the lack of time that early in the morning. Plus, going for lunch is simply not an option, especially since most parents will be at work during that time. By having a machine that has the provision for a few decent snacks, the child will eat least get something to eat so that he/she can last till the end of the day.
Keeping kids around: Kids mostly tend to sneak out of school because they want to buy something that isn’t usually in the canteen. Could be an ice cream of a particular brand of chips. Nothing is relatively wrong with this until it becomes a trend amongst the other kids. With a well-stocked vending machine at the disposal of all the students, you won’t have to worry about a thing.
Fundraising: Even though this may sound strange at first, a vending machine can be used to fundraise either for the school itself or even student activities, for that matter. Be it for supplementing hot lunch programs or even a cause like charity, if implemented properly, is a brilliant school fundraiser idea. Doing this will not only get all the kids a lot more involved with the community as a whole, but it will also ensure that a team effort is created as well.
One of the main things that people seem to have forgotten is the fact that unhealthy eating habits can be turned into positive ones with the help of vending machines. There are a variety of different ways that one can do this. Firstly, healthy snacks are the best step forward, followed by keeping the machine in a supervised and visible location. That way, kids will be a lot more responsible for their behavior around the vending machine.