Summary: Employees do choose healthier vending options when they’re easy to find, fairly priced, and clearly labeled. Research shows healthy-vending interventions often increase the share of healthy purchases without hurting overall sales, small price nudges or brief delays can shift choices, and cashless readers raise conversion. Treat wellness ROI as a cultural benefit more than a medical cost savior.

What “healthy vending” means 

Use recognized workplace standards to choose products and set rules (snacks, beverages, sodium/sugar/fats, portion sizes). The CDC’s Food Service Guidelines and the American Heart Association’s Healthy Workplace Food & Beverage Toolkit are good baselines for offices.

What the data says about employee choices

• Healthy share goes up—without killing sales. Systematic reviews and case studies (e.g., Chicago Park District) report more healthy items sold and stable or higher revenue when availability, pricing, and promotion favor healthier picks. PMCCDC

• Nudges work. A 25-second delay on less-healthy items (vs immediate release for healthier ones) shifted purchases toward healthier picks; a small ($0.25) discount had a similar effect. PMC

• Labels and layout matter. Traffic-light labels + choice architecture increased healthy selections in large cafeteria settings—principles that transfer well to vending planograms. ajpmonline.org

• Cashless dominates. In 2024, ~77% of vending transactions were cashless, with even higher rates in micromarkets; cashless typically raises conversion and average ticket size. cantaloupeinc.gcs-web.com

• Wellness ROI is mixed. A large randomized workplace wellness study found limited changes in health outcomes/spending despite better health behaviors—so lead with convenience, culture, and modest commissions. PMC

Recommended planogram (starter blueprint)

• Beverages: plain/sparkling water (unsweetened), unsweetened tea, black coffee, low-fat/skim milk.

• Snacks: whole-grain chips/crackers, lower-sodium nuts/seeds, low-sugar granola bars, dried fruit with no added sugar, jerky with sodium-conscious picks.
  Use your guideline of choice (CDC/AHA) to validate nutrition thresholds before publishing the menu and signage. CDCwww.heart.org

FAQ

Do healthy items actually sell in vending?
Yes. Reviews and field studies show higher healthy-item share with availability, pricing, and promotion changes—often without hurting total sales. PMC

Do we need to discount healthy items?
Not always, but even 10–25% discounts can noticeably lift healthy purchases. American Journal of Public Health

Is removing “treats” required?
No. You can keep some indulgences and still shift choices using labels, placement, and brief delays.