Healthier Vending Choices

The items below, in general, meet the criteria for Best Choices for Vending Foods according to the Nutritional Standards for Competitive Foods in Pennsylvania Schools. Not all brands of a product are acceptable. And, in some cases, only certain products within a brand, are acceptable. Read labels carefully.

The PA Standards do not limit sodium; however, a reasonable limit per serving is 480 mg. sodium, the FDA limit for an individual food labeled "healthy."

Beverages
(Refrigerated machine required)
Note: Beverages preferably packaged in plastic resealable containers.

• Water, unflavored, any size
• Nonfat (skim) or 1% low-fat milk, unflavored, 8 fl. oz. or less
• Nonfat (skim) or 1% low-fat milk, flavored (but containing no more than 30 g. sugars inclusive of natural milk sugar), 8 fl. oz. or less
• Nonfat or low-fat soymilk, calcium-fortified, unflavored, 8 fl. oz. or less
• Nonfat or low-fat soymilk, calcium-fortified, flavored (but containing no more than 30 g. sugars), 8 fl. oz. or less
• 100% fruit juice, 6 fl. oz. or less

Snack Foods
(Refrigeration not required; <200 calories/serving)

• Mini bagels, whole wheat or otherwise whole grain preferred
• Mini pita, whole wheat or otherwise whole grain preferred
• Pretzels, whole grain, oat bran, or otherwise whole grain preferred, unsalted or lightly salted
• Nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, peanuts, pistachios, walnuts, soy nuts), unsalted or lightly salted, dry roasted
• Granola, cereal, trail mix bars
• Cereal, ready-to-eat, with <10 g. sugars per 30 g. cereal
• Fat-free or low-fat crackers, such as animal crackers, low-fat graham crackers, saltines,
• Kashi TLC Original 7 Grain
• Trail mix without coconut or candy
• Fig bars, whole wheat preferred, such as Nabisco Fig Newton Bars baked with 100% whole grain
• Low-fat popcorn, only lightly salted or low sodium, such as Smart Balance low sodium
• Energy bars such as Luna (only Toasted Nuts n’ Cranberry and Sesame Raisin Crunch) & Perfect 10 bars (Note: Most energy bars provide > 200 calories per serving).
• Rice cakes
• Toaster pastries, fruit types, unfrosted
• Baked potato chips, only lightly salted
• Baked tortilla chips, only lightly salted

Chilled Snack Foods
(Refrigeration required; < 200 calories/serving)

• Fat-free yogurt, artificially sweetened (Splenda preferred over other artificial sweeteners), or
  sweetened (but containing no more than 30 g. sugars); 8 oz. or less
• Fruit cup with 100% unsweetened juice
• Unsweetened applesauce
• Fresh fruit, such as bananas, apples, navel oranges, tangerines, pears
• Fresh fruit chunks or slices, vacuumed sealed
• Raw vegetables, plain or packaged with low-fat dressing
• Dried, unsweetened fruit, such as raisins, apricot halves, figs, cranberries
• Low-fat or reduced-fat string cheese, such as Frigo Light
• Mini bagel or pita with 1 oz. fat-free cream cheese
• Mini bagel or pita with 1 oz. peanut butter
• Mini bagel or pita with 1 oz. turkey breast
• Mini bagel or pita with 1 oz. low-fat cheese
• Fat-free or low-fat pudding, artificially sweetened (Splenda preferred) or sweetened (but
  containing no more than 30 g. sugars), 8 oz. or less
• Fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese with unsweetened fruit
• Low-fat coleslaw or pepper slaw
• Low-fat Waldorf salad
• Tossed Romaine lettuce and vegetable salad with single portion pack of low-fat dressing
• Low-fat pasta, vegetable, bean salad

References and Resources
Pennsylvania Department of Education, Division of Food and Nutrition, Nutritional Standards for Competitive Foods in Pennsylvania Schools, www.pde.state.pa.us/food_nutrition/site/ (accessed 2/06)
Food labels, 2/06.
Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and U.S. Department of Education. FNS-374, Making it Happen! School Nutrition Success Stories. Alexandria, VA, January 2005. www.fns.usda.gov/tn
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For FDA Food labeling information, go to http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/label.html (accessed 2/06)