The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act allows the Secretary of Agriculture to establish nutrition standards for foods sold in schools throughout the day, including items in vending machines. The standards require schools to offer more fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.
Now that President Obama has made this a child nutrition law, schools across the country will start to determine how the new legislation impacts their own meal and vending programs.
Sean Kelly, CEO of HUMAN Healthy Vending, the nation’s first and only, philanthropic, completely healthy vending-machine company says the bill couldn’t have come soon enough.
“With childhood obesity skyrocketing and a shortage of healthy food options in so many schools across the country, this bill is just what school districts need to kick start healthier eating habits,” Kelly says.
School food has a major impact on the nation’s health. More than 80% of the schools surveyed in a report by the Journal of Adolescent Health examining the impact of vending machine foods on 5,930 students at 152 schools, had vending machines selling foods with minimal nutritional value, including chips, sodas and sweets.
Supporters of the child nutrition law said it could reduce the prevalence of obesity among children, as the school lunch program feeds more than 31 million children a day in more than 101,000 public and private schools.
Ahead of the vending health curve, HUMAN manufactures and distributes digitally interactive, eco-friendly vending machines that sell 100% healthy foods and drinks such as all-natural trail mix, organic granola bars, pure fruit juice, organic milk and electrolyte-rich coconut water in their vending machines. They also provide education via 23-inch high-definition LCD screens that display nutritional information and health tips.
“Our mission is to make health foods, drinks, and information universally accessible,” Kelly says. “This bill will provide children with healthier options in schools, so they can develop new habits to lead more balanced healthy, happy lives.”