Making Healthy Choices at the Vending Machine

It's 12:45 p.m., you have a meeting at 1, a report due at 2 and the sudden realization that lunch isn't going to happen. So you grab a fistful of change and head to the vending machines, where you select: A) Strawberry Pop Tarts. B) A Snickers bar. C) Peanut butter crackers. D) Crunchy Cheetos.

The right pick? If you're looking for something sweet, the candy bar. If you're wanting something salty, the crackers. Both contain nuts and offer a bit of protein and a few more nutrients than the other choices.
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The protein may help keep you*satisfied longer, too. You won't do yourself in by an occasional vending-machine lunch, says Wichita, Kan., dietitian Karen Morrison.**"It's an OK thing to do once in a while."*



But a smart choice at lunchtime (or when the 3 o'clock munchies hit) will do less damage, Morrison says.
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For comparison's sake, the six-pack of crackers has about 200 calories and 10 grams of fat. An ounce of Cheetos has 160 calories and 10 grams of fat - but many vending machines hold 2-ounce packages now, and who's going to eat just half?

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The 2-ounce Snickers bar has 273 calories and 14 grams of fat; one Pop Tart has 205 calories and 5.5 grams of fat - but who's going to eat just one, when the package has two?

Now, some advice that you might not have expected to hear from a dietitian: If the vending machine is your only lunch choice, and you use it only on an occasional basis, have the Snickers bar AND the crackers, or two other choices from the "good" list.

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OTHER GOOD CHOICES

Some vending machines now label "heart healthy" choices that are lower in calories and fat. For those that don't, Morrison says these are among the good choices in the average vending machine:

- Pretzels.

- Peanuts, sunflower seeds or other nuts. But watch sizes: A normal serving of nuts is 1 ounce; most vending machine packages are 2 ounces.

- Animal crackers, which are low in fat.
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- Twizzlers. "They're nothing but sugar," Morrison says, but are low in fat and satisfy a sweet tooth.

- Sweet and salty mixes, if they're mostly nuts and raisins.



- "The cracker options aren't bad." But they're often high in sodium.


- LifeSavers, a great choice "if you're just wanting a little bit of sweet."

- Popcorn, especially lower-fat, single-serving bags. "Popcorn's a good choice. It's a whole grain," Morrison says.

- If you're dead-set on a candy bar, choose one with nuts.

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WATCH OUT FOR THESE

These are among the poorest choices in the vending machine, because they offer little nutrition and lots of calories:

- Doughnuts

- Pop Tarts and similar pastries

- Chips (choose baked if you have to have chips)

- Candy bars

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AT THE DRINK MACHINE

"Water's going to be your best option," Morrison says.

Many drink vending machines now have fruit drinks, but they can be deceiving, she says. Look at the label: If it says "with juice" it's a marketing tactic rather than a nutritious choice.

You're looking for "100 percent juice." And you probably won't find much of it. "That's kind of an oddity," Morrison says.

If you have a vending machine that carries milk, opt for fat-free or low-fat. You knew that.

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EMERGENCY STASH

Keeping some food in your desk drawer is a great idea, to get you by on days when you don't have a chance to break for lunch or as a better choice for a midafternoon snack attack. Here are some of Morrison's suggestions:

- Dry cereal

- Pretzels

- Dried fruit

- Crackers (preferably whole-wheat and low-fat)

- Nuts

- Shelf-stable yogurt smoothies (fruit juice and yogurt)

- Small jar of peanut butter

- Microwave popcorn (preferably lower-fat single-serving bags)

- Fruit cups

- Instant soup

- 100-calorie snacks, if you have trouble controlling portions

- Whole (uncut) fruit - for a few days

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(c) 2006, The Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kan.). Distributed by Mclatchy-Tribune News Service.