Vending machines often get a bad rap. But as our schools get bigger and the cost of employing staff rises, can a case be made for healthy vending?
Modern vending machines can offer fresh snacks, including salad, yoghurts, fruit cups, nuts and wholegrain options. Some machines have the capacity to offer both drinks and snacks.
If designed and operated well, vending machines can help our school community make healthier choices on the go.
Cold vending positives:
- Cold vending can be used for snacks and drinks, reducing the queue time if these sales are removed from the Tuckshop / canteen.
- Payments are quick and contactless.
- Provides quick access to drinks and snacks and may increase sales for your Tuckshop / canteen as staff, students and community members, may be able to access these machines outside of food service periods.
- If aligned with Smart Choices, vending can reinforce healthy habits as students get to see healthy choices in action, encouraging lifelong healthy choices.
- You can prioritise the display of stock to encourage healthier choices along with the purchase of items that have the best mark up value (often those that are made in house). See the Healthier Tuckshops resources on Displaying Drinks for more information about how to do this.
- Most smart machines allow you to track popular and unpopular sales, tailored to suit the school community by stocking different items throughout the year (based on season, preference, use of facilities).
- Reduce staff required for service.
Cold vending drawbacks:
- Expensive outlay to purchase and stock yourself.
- You may not have control over what products that are stocked if you hire a machine.
- You may need to reinforce / add security to the vending machine which detracts from the look of the machine and may increase the time it takes to restock the machine.
- If there are issues or error with the contactless payment, no sales can be made.
- May require frequent restocking taking staff away from the kitchen.
- Removes an opportunity for interaction between staff and the school community.
- If operated by an external organisation or business unit outside the Tuckshop, the vending machine may undermine healthy food and drinks policies, compete with the Tuckshop for sales and encourage unhealthy habits.
Hot vending:
You may have recently seen this ABC news story that featured Yeronga State High School, who introduced hot vending in 2025.
Meals / hot menu items are loaded into individually heated compartments that are kept at a safe food temperature. Students select the item, use their card to pay, open the hatch to collect their meal and are then on their way.
Response to the video was mixed, with some noting human interaction is still needed. However, if you are in a large high school the positives to hot vending are very similar to those listed above: shorter queue times and reduced staff required for service. They even made a short video to show students how easy they are to use!
Hot vending provides an opportunity for more in house meals to be presented and purchased. Yes, staff are still required to make the meals, stock and restock the vending, but can be utilised elsewhere during service periods (preparing meals for the next break, preparing meals for the next day, ordering, restocking, cleaning the kitchen etc).
While the price for these machines can be a hurdle for a lot of schools, it’s important to consider their purchase as an investment; one that has a quick return on investment.
If your school is large enough that you would benefit from a second tuckshop, café or canteen, a wall of hot vending may be a more cost-effective way to do it.
Is it worth considering?
If you are in a large school, a case for vending can certainly be made. Healthy vending can complement the Tuckshop / canteen service by offering different products, operating outside service periods and reducing student queue times and pressure of staff during service periods.
The greatest benefits come from when better menu options are available and prioritised, and unhealthier options are minimised.
Your Food Pal
Your Food Pal is an Australian business offering smart, automated vending machines designed to sell fresh, ready-made food. Their systems provide both hot and cold meal options in a fully contactless format, allowing customers to quickly purchase food on the go without staff interaction.
Your Food Pal offers the option to purchase outright, long term rental (3 or 5 years) or lease. The benefits include:
- The machines are easy to maintain
- Easy to use.
- Easy to clean.
- Long life span (15-20 years).
- Australian based company and support.
Learn more on the Your Food Pal website.
