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10 Snacks to Avoid at the Vending Machine

Busy work and school days can leave some with little time proper meals. Preparing quick, healthy meals in advance is the wisest choice but, if a trip to the vending machine is unavoidable, it helps to know which foods to steer clear of. Making smart decisions at the vending machine can save your body from the damaging effects of sugars, fats and empty calories.

  1. Doughnuts and Pastries

    • Doughnuts, snack cakes and pastries found in vending machines may have up to 500 calories per package. The high levels of sugars in these snacks will be stored as fat. These options also generally contain trans fats, which are not healthy fats..

    Pork Rinds

    • According to the Wellness Council of America, a 4 ounce serving of pork rinds "contains 600 calories and almost 40 grams of fat." With packages being larger than 4 ounces, this snack can easily set you over daily limits for fat and calories.

    High-Sugar Drinks

    • Full sugar sodas and fruit drinks can quickly wreck havoc on your waistline. Though packaged in 12-ounce cans, the recommended 8 ounce serving of non-diet soda contains 27 grams of sugar. Though fruit drinks may be an enticing alternative, many are packed to sugar and contain no actual fruit juice.

    Cookies

    • One brand of packaged miniature chocolate chip cookies contains 290 calories, 14 grams of fat and 18 grams of sugar. Add that to the lack of nutritional value and you have a recipe for a sugar crash later.

    Potato Chips

    • Most potato chips in vending machines are fried and loaded with fat, calories and sodium. Some brands of chips also contain dangerous trans-fats. Selecting a baked chip will be a better choice every time.

    Cheese Crackers

    • Many cheese flavored crackers, including the sandwich variety, derive most of their calories from fat. In fact, some cheese square crackers have 40 more calories per bag than the most calorie-laden bag of chips. If you must choose a cheese cracker snack, baked, fish-shaped cheese crackers are a healthier alternative.

    Sandwiches

    • Though sandwiches may seem like a safe vending machine choice, many are smeared with high-fat spreads such as mayonnaise. The sandwiches are also often made with white bread, which is high in sugar and empty carbohydrates that are stored as fat.

    Meat and Jerky

    • Packaged meats and jerky, though low in carbohydrates, usually contain high levels of saturated and trans fats. For a quick and filling boost of protein, choose plain nuts.

    Chocolate Bars

    • Many full-sized chocolate bars contain nearly 300 calories. Though a candy bar may "boost energy, it's mainly sugar, which will slow back down within an hour or so" says Forbes magazine. If you're in the mood for a chocolate fix, look for plain, dark chocolate bars as they are lower in calories and fat and provide antioxidants.

    Fruit-Flavored Candies

    • One package of rainbow colored, hard-shelled, chewy, fruit-flavored candies, contains "nearly as much sugar as 6 Dunkin' Donuts Chocolate Frosted Cake Donuts" according to Yahoo! Health. These candies are made up of sugar, corn syrup and partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil. Instead, choose gummy snacks made from real fruit.

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