Sure, we all want to eat reasonably priced bowls of vegetables, whole grains, beans, and whatnot, but what if you’re just trying to grab a quick snack at a rest stop or a train station or in between classes? More likely you end up with stale peanut butter crackers from the vending machine. But, Modern Farmer reports, a fellow named Luke Saunders is working to close the gap between health and convenience: He’s making the vending machine work for fresh food.
Saunders’ “veggie machine” is called the Farmer’s Fridge, and the concept is simple, Modern Farmer says:
[Saunders] figured the only two things preventing distributing healthy food was a high upfront cost and convenience.
A vending machine neatly solves both problems, he explains. It’s cheap to maintain — electricity costs about $10 a month — quick and easy to use. …
[T]he machine dispenses the salad or snack in a clear plastic jar which can be brought back to the kiosk for the reuse. Saunders eventually hopes to offer recycling incentives to frequent customers.
The salad makers layer the ingredients to keep them fresh; salads go on sale ($1 off) in the evenings; the fridges are restocked every 24 hours; and what’s not sold is donated to a homeless shelter. But, most importantly, they look delicious.
