HELENA — When it hits lunchtime, many of us head to the vending machine, but instead of grabbing a couple of snacks, students at Helena Public Schools' high schools can now go for healthy lunches.
"I use it probably weekly," said Dominic Cooper, a sophomore at Capital High School (CHS).
(WATCH: Helena Public Schools brings healthy meals in vending machines)
Both CHS and Helena High School have new vending machines filled with healthy meals like parfaits, sandwiches, gyros, and salads, which are made fresh every day.
"Kids can drive to Burger King or Dairy Queen or wherever they want to go, or even just to the gas station down the street, and buy the Big Gulp," said Robert Worthy, the Helena Public Schools food service director and Sodexo manager. "It makes it very hard to compete against that, but having it as convenient as possible, close to where they can access it – that's where our best spot is."
The district is serving between 70 and 100 meals a day from the new vending machine at CHS alone.
Worthy said, "We would have to replace it two or three times a day because the kids are going through it so much."
Students can use their identification numbers on the vending machine just like they do in the lunchroom, and it also takes cash.
Meals from the vending machine can be reimbursed for meals that would have been purchased in the school cafeteria and would cost $2.00 for breakfast and $3.10 for lunch.
If students have already taken those meals from the cafeteria and use their identification number or pay with cash, it is considered "A La Carte" and costs $3.00 for breakfast and $4.00 for lunch.
"It's nice, because the other stuff – if I'm hungry – I have to use my credit card or my debit card, but this - I can use my school account," said Cooper.
The machines are specially made for the district and take about a month to assemble.
Worthy said, "If it does well - who knows – maybe I can get one of these machines for the middle schools."
The machines cost nearly $17,000 and were paid for using the district's food service account, with money left over from COVID revenue and not from the general fund.
"In one year, we'll probably make enough profit to pay for it," said Worthy.
The vending machines provide nutritious meals at any time – before, during, or after school.
"Most of my classes, I see at least one person with something from it," Cooper said.
