Hospital vending goes healthy

Vending machines have always been a go-to for those craving something sweet, salty, crunchy or otherwise snack-y.Kaiser Permanente wants to make sure that if a craving hits while someone is waiting for a doctor's visit or taking a break between patients, they'll have a choice between plenty of healthy vending machine options.Healthy Picks is a Kaiser Permanente-wide program aimed at offering more healthy food options to members, physicians and staff.More than 600 Kaiser vending machines throughout California have been remade in previous months to offer at least 50 percent healthy foods and beverages that meet pre-determined criteria for lower fat, calories, sodium and sugar. The initiative began with demonstration sites at Kaiser sites in the Bay Area over the summer.Kaiser Permanente's Roseville Medical Center on Eureka Road is a pilot site for testing vending machines stocked with 75 percent healthy options. Kaiser staff kicked off the program Thursday in Roseville, just in time for the lunch crowd."Our company is embarking on promoting wellness, and it's not just focused on our patients but our guests and our staff as well," said Clairen Peeters, manager of food services.So now, in addition to the chocolate and sugary sodas, those craving a snack can pick from pretzels, nuts, dried fruits, milk, fruit, granola bars, animal crackers, green tea, lots more water and juice, baked chips or low-fat yogurt.Plans to revamp the cafeteria's menus are also in the works."We're concerned about the long-term effects of overeating," she said. "We want to be consistent, that you're not just here when you're sick, but to help you be well.""It's making it easier for our staff and members to make good choices, by offering them more options," said Kirsten Ransbury, clinical nutrition educator, as she manned a table covered with snack samples and educational materials. "I think so far people have been pretty interested."We're changing our vending machines and making them healthier, starting today," Ransbury told Robert Wolfe, who stopped by the cafeteria Thursday to get a soda with son Robert Jr., 2.Wolfe appreciated having healthier and not as sugar-laden options to choose from."Personally I think it's great," he said. "Anything that's along the lines of a non-cola is fine by me. I'd do away with all the cola options if possible."Darrell Yeakley, division president of Canteen, the vending machine company stocking Northern California Kaiser sites with healthier snack options, said he's curious to see how the new food and drink options sell at the Roseville Medical Center."We definitely think that there's a trend going toward healthier food in vending machines," he said.Loryll Nicolaisen can be reached at lorylln@goldcountrymedia.com.