When the vending machine is your only option (sharing info)

SmileSarah47

You still have smart-snacking choices from a vending machine: Pick fresh or canned fruit or low-fat yogurt, if available. If not, go for one of these better, but not ideal, options.

Dietitians' Picks
York Peppermint Patty: With only 140 calories and 1.5 grams saturated fat, this beats most candy bars.

SunChips: A source of whole grain, 2 grams of fiber and a mere 5% daily sodium value, packed into 140 calories.

Peanuts or almonds: All natural with good-for-you fats.

Fig Newtons: Yes, they’re a cookie, but they have a couple grams of fiber.

What to Avoid:
Pop Tarts: Basically a highly processed cookie with few vitamins and 400 calories for a 2-pack.

Twix: 11 grams of saturated fat you don’t want or need.

Combos Cheddar Cheese Pretzel Snacks: 240 calories with a quarter of your daily saturated fat limit and a third of your sodium limit.

Keebler Vanilla Sugar Wafers: A 390-calorie sugar-fest with nearly a quarter of your daily saturated fat limit.

Cheese crackers with peanut butter: Artificially colored, highly processed and 340 milligrams sodium all wrapped up in 220 calories.

ErinGiam

Thanks for the info! Thats actually really good to know because I usually always go for the cheddar cheese combos at work if I'm a bit hungry. Guess I shouldn't do that anymore!

hpsnickers1

You must work where I work! That sounds like my vending machine. But I did learn something about Fig Newtons - one of my favorite treats! If you look at the ingredients three of the first five are sugar, corn syrup and HFCS. I don't understand why the company needs to put 3 different types of sugar in it. Isn't one enough??!!

I also used to eat poptarts. Their commercial really gets to me because they advertise them as a good quick breakfast for kids!

melodyg

Pretzels are another good option (high in sodium... but much better than many of the other choices!). If I could do over again the years I felt I had to eat from vending machines (full time job + grad school years!) then I'd be stocking up on fresh fruit to take along to class and buying pretzels or peanuts from the snack machine. Some have popcorn too, which is better than a candy bar, I'd guess!