Columbia, Mo. schools consider making vending machine fare more nutritionally oriented

• School Board has formed a committee that will meet next week to discuss and make recommendations whether to place healthier foods in school vending machines, according to The Missourian in Columbia, Mo.
• At last week's Columbia School Board meeting, the Columbia-Boone County League of Women Voters recommended that the district remove food and drinks of minimal nutritional value from vending machines.
• Marci Lower, the league's education director, presented findings from various studies on the health consequences of "junk" food consumption among children.
• The League of Women Voters is not the first community group to voice concern about vending machines in schools.
• The Good Food for School coalition began working on the issue three years ago.
• In addition, Rep. Judy Baker, D-Columbia, is writing a bill to address nutrition in schools.
• The bill would call for the replacement of junk food with sugar-free beverages and healthy snacks.
• Board member Darin Preis said the vending machines bring in about $70,000 to the district each year, which is used for student activities and supplies.
• Although Lower and Preis would prefer to see all vending machines removed from schools, they both said it may be more feasible and economical to replace them with healthier choices.
• Along with the concern about vending machines in schools, the league is also interested in improving health and nutritional education.