These damn things are my downfall. We have NOTHING healthy in our machines at work. It's all chocolate bars, crisps and cakes. I'm a scientist and my experiments are unpredictable, you can get stuck at work for hours famished so I turn to these machines. And once I've had one I need another.

Has anyone successfully campaigned for healthier snack machines?

I suppose I could bring cup-a-soups to work but I get bored if I eat the same thing very often.

Anyone else have this problem and what do you leave at work to solve it?

Why not bring in some healthy snack bars with you. I swear by Geobars, full of good things, filling, only 130cals, low fat, if slightly high in carbs. And they're Fairtrade. And there's even a chocolate flavour one!

I don't take any change in with me so I can't use them, and make sure I have plenty fruit or a small bag of crisps or healthier snack in case I get hungry. Think of the money you'll save as well - those machines are so overpriced!
Pixie

Get a box with a lock fill it up say at the beginning of the month with healthy treats that only you can access and for goodness sake make sure you don't carry change - mind you do these machines now take paper/card like carpark?

Yeah not bringing in change is a good idea. And yes they are a complete rip off. I'll bring in some low fat yoghurts and try not to eat them all at once!

You get bored eating the same thing all the time? But not machine chocolate all the time? !
Like the others said, bring in healthier stuff: apples, grapes, carrot sticks, cereal or yogurts (those soya ones don't need a fridge). You are using the machine as a poor excuse to eat rubbish.

The problem with campaigning to remove these machines is, that like i schools the site owner (your comany in this case) probably makes money from them. My son's school has suffered to the tune of £14,000 lost revenue per annum due to an authority wide ban on vending machines in schools. The children (and staff) who relied on them now just walk up the road and spend their money in the shops, including the cynically placed restauruant (fish, pie, pizzza and chips, fizzy drinks and sweets and crisps) when the canteen serves a wide variety of healthy type of meals. Said restaurant got plannig permission from same local authority just 6 years ago to set up directly opposite the school gates!!

Despite that, I would strongly suggest you DO ask if they could be replaced (or supplemented) by a fruit bowl. (My husbands company does this very successfully - he has a banana mid morning and a couple of satsumas mid afternoon)

Although the same argument doesn't apply to schools, you'd have thought that the money earned by such companies would be far outweighed by the impact on their employees' health and therefore sickness absence.

Maybe there's a case for raising the provision of these machines as a Health and Safety issue with the company's Safety Director.

Well said Ron.

How are you getting on with these wicked women at work that keep tempting you with cakes? Are they a Health & Safety issue I wonder?

Well said Ron.



Never simple though. Most companies see the bottom line and perhaps an industrial estate with no canteen or easy access to shops etc uses such devices as an employee perk.

There are moves in many workplaces, especially government controlled such as schools, hospitals and council offices to improve the health and well being of their staff. Proper rest areas, healthy canteens/snack provision, exercise machines, walk/cycle spaces, lunchtime classes, neck massage weekly etc. I applaud anyone , individual or organisation who tries to see the bigger picture and help take care of people better. As you rightly say, happier and healthier workforce is more productive.

And of course there is the fact that whilst you can lead a horse etc..... There will always be people who have little interest/motivation to lead healthier lifestyles will feel put upon and rebel. Recall the mums passing burgers through the school gates during Jamie's school dinners campaign. Most of them with fags in gobs as well!!

Try this experiment and let me know if it works.

Spend a few quid buying large bars of choc at supermarket and keep in draw at work.
You may find that just having the choc nearby 'in case' is enough to stop you going to the machine.
Try to have some fruit available as a healthy alternative.

If you do break into the chocolate at least it will be cheaper.

My employer has a very mixed approach to such things. You have to be fit to get in on the operational side and most locations are provided with a free (and relatively well-equipped) gym. However, many of the locations have junk food machines and the canteens provide some of the unhealthiest cooking you could imagine. As we don't have a junk food machine nor access to a canteen, the temptresses are merely helping out. I like to think they are simply trying to test and strengthen our resolve!

Some very intersting thought provoking issues above. Correct me if I'm wrong - haven't I seen junk being sold in the vending machine at the municipal gym/pool?

Anyway Liv you could always log on to this site and type until your munchy craving passes (it will be cheaper but you may run the risk of getting fired). If you're a research scientist why don't you see what the affect of throwing brick (force x speed + anger) at said vending machine has? (it may result in a replacement of something healthy) Maybe someone at work could also work out what affect (or is it effect) of eating too much rubbish has on the body? - that would be a new one.

Good luck

Hi Liv,

We fortunately don't have any vending machines at work, but there are often biscuits and cakes around ...

I keep cereal bars and fruit to hand, and that usually helps me to resist temptation!

I wrote an article for www.diet-blog.com listing10 no-preparation snacks -- you might find some ideas there! I've also got an article on workplace snacking on my website The Office Diet.

Good luck avoiding the vending machine (maybe leave all your change at home?!)

Ali

Thanks for all the advice! I've stopped taking money to work (our canteen is a card system so that's good) and I buy a net of oranges and keep them in my locker for the munchies. All good so far!

I have the same problem with the coffee machine in work with its tempting cappuccinos. I now take a flask to work instead. The thought of all those chemicals in the coffee have put me off it now anyway as you can really taste the sweeteners. For the munchies, most people seem to be eating bananas at breaktime. However I find my porridge keeps me full for the whole morning. Maybe you could take a soup flask of porridge in??

Jaki

We have a fruit trolley that comes round every day from a local shop, which provides extra revenue for the local small town and gives employees a bit of choice. It also includes things like yogurt and cottage cheese, pre-prepared melon, grapes and fruit salad, and other low fat snacks, but does include some high calorie foods such as flapjacks. This can also be as pricey as the cholcolate machine. The key is to be prepared and make the effort to bring food with you and it will save you money. I always try and bring a small packet of low fat crisps to work as it saves me buying from the machine and they tend to have less in them so I eat less. There's lots of different shapes and sizes of small plastic containers available now with clip lids, so you can bring things in small quantities. I like a couple of Rich Tea biscuits or Jaffa Cakes as a treat. Rice cakes or Water biscuits are good spread with reduced sugar jam and sandwiched together till you get to work to avoid mess.

Let everyone know that you are no longer going to be tepted by the machine then you will not be tempted for fear of losing face. Until you find yourself on your own!!! I have a tub of flavoured seeds that I dip into, healthy and reasonably lo-cal. good luck

hello everybody, if you take fruit to work but come tea break fancy chocolate, try the eat what you need then eat what you want , so eat your apple first and sometimes you may miss the choc out. bit like kids, eat your greens then have your pud. worth a try? x

We thankfully don't have a vending machine, but we do have a permanently-full biscuit tin in the office!

I find having low-fat cereal bars on hand really helps ... they go just as well as a choccy digestive with a cuppa

I also wrote an article about healthy snacks for my website, The Office Diet, a while ago -- and had a post up on Diet Blog recently (I'm a staff writer there): 10 no-preparation snacks for work or home

Hope some of the ideas there might help!

Ali
www.theofficediet.com

I can totally relate to you Liv. I live in a dorm and there's a chocolate vending machine in the reception area. The problem is that it's near when I am hungry/ want something sweet? And yes, I never get bored because there are so many varieties. I have managed to keep away from them a full week by buying loads of fruits & low fat yoghurt... but it is hard :P