Healthy

Simplifying Healthy Choices

As one of the prominent Columbia, Missouri Vending Companies, we understand the unique dietary needs of our community—from Mizzou students and faculty across East Campus to healthcare professionals at University Hospital and the surrounding medical offices throughout the city. Our healthy vending program addresses the demand for fresh, nutritious snacking options among Columbia’s diverse workforce, offering machines stocked exclusively with 100% healthy and organic snacks designed for busy professionals, shift workers, and students navigating the city’s active downtown nightlife and entertainment districts. FitPick® is a distinguished vending and self-pay market program created to assist Columbia employers—from technology startups in The District to government offices and insurance companies throughout South Providence—and consumers in selecting products that meet established nutrition standards, with straightforward guidelines that clarify calories, fat, sugar, and sodium content, making it an ideal choice for health-conscious individuals working and studying across West Broadway, downtown Columbia, and beyond.

Our membership in NAMA, the leading professional organization for vending companies, enables us to deliver the nationally acclaimed FitPick healthy vending machine program to Columbia businesses and institutions seeking to support employee wellness and student health. This initiative showcases a curated selection of snacks, beverages, and foods that conform to rigorous nutritional standards on calories, fat, sugar, and sodium, helping the thousands of students, retail workers, hospitality staff, and corporate professionals throughout Columbia make healthier choices during their workdays and campus activities.

FitPick Info

Attractive Labels Simplify Making Informed Decisions

Fitpick Machine

Whether you’re stocking a fully branded healthy vending machine or upgrading existing units across Columbia’s bustling university district and downtown entertainment venues, FitPick® makes wellness visible and accessible.

Fit Pick® uses distinctive, eye-catching stickers to highlight vending machine slots containing Fit Pick® approved snacks—a critical feature for Columbia’s young professional and student demographic, where quick, informed nutrition choices matter in high-traffic areas like The District, West Broadway bars, and campus-adjacent locations. More prominent clings and stickers communicate the complete Fit Pick™ nutritional standards to customers navigating evening and weekend purchasing moments.

Fit Pick® labels distinguish between two sets of nutritional guidelines tailored to different audiences and settings. The most widely adopted adult standard is the 35-10-35 benchmark (maximum 35% calories from fat, maximum 10% from saturated fat, and maximum 35% product weight from sugar)—ideal for office environments, healthcare facilities like University Hospital, and corporate workplaces throughout Columbia’s growing tech and insurance sectors. Additionally, Fit Pick® provides labels meeting The Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Competitive Foods Guidelines, which resonate particularly well in educational and institutional settings across the MU campus and greater Columbia area.

Fit Pick®’s standardized labeling system is recognized consistently across the nation, allowing regional employers and multi-location operators—from downtown retail clusters to Grindstone Plaza and South Providence—to implement the same transparent wellness program seamlessly, whether serving students, hospital staff, or office workers.

Our goal is to deliver straightforward yet meaningful nutritional guidance at the point of purchase, empowering Columbia’s health-conscious consumers and busy professionals to select snacks aligned with clear, science-backed “better for you” standards.

Nutritious Snacking Options for Columbia's Active Student and Professional Community.

FitPick® transforms healthy snacking for Columbia’s vibrant university community and young professional workforce by clearly identifying “better for you” options, with nearly 700 tasty FitPick® approved products designed to meet the nutritional expectations of Mizzou students, university staff, and health-conscious professionals across Downtown Columbia and The District. This program effortlessly guides customers—whether grabbing a quick snack between classes on East Campus, refueling during late-night study sessions in residence halls, or making mindful choices at workplace vending machines throughout Columbia’s growing healthcare and insurance sectors—in choosing healthier items from vending machines, removing any guesswork and streamlining the selection and purchase process.

Health & Wellness Program

The FitPick® program recognizes the importance of functional foods,
acknowledging that snacks are often equivalent to meals.

VendVue is revolutionizing workplace vending across Columbia by dedicating ourselves to comprehensively understanding our clients’ wellness goals and needs, particularly within the university, healthcare, and insurance sectors that define the local economy. While traditional vending machines offer up to 45 diverse products, including popular “pleasure foods” like candy bars, chips, and soft drinks, Columbia’s diverse workforce—from Mizzou students and young professionals in the North Village Arts District to healthcare workers at University Hospital and government employees downtown—increasingly demands healthier alternatives. This shift towards health consciousness among consumers and organizations has inspired us to offer tailored solutions specifically designed for Columbia’s active, education-focused community. We’re delighted to collaborate with our clients through the personalized Fit Pick® program, catering to their wellness requirements with a variety of healthy alternatives that meet the needs of both traditional office environments and the high-traffic entertainment and retail venues throughout The District, West Broadway, and the Grindstone Plaza corridor.

Here are the Top Ten Smart Snacking Tips to keep you energized and satisfied all day:

  1. Regular Snacking: Refuel your body with snacks several times a day to stay energized—especially important for Columbia’s large student population and young professionals managing demanding schedules across campus, downtown offices, and the District’s bustling business corridor.
  2. Fiber and Protein Focus: Opt for cereal or granola bars with protein and fiber for longer-lasting fullness, ideal for late-night study sessions in East Campus residence halls or afternoon shifts at the university hospital and regional healthcare facilities.
  3. Healthy Crunch: Satisfy mid-day cravings with low-fat, low-calorie options like pretzels or baked chips—convenient choices for workers in West Broadway’s retail and insurance offices or those between classes at Mizzou Arena events.
  4. Nutrient-Rich Choices: Choose pre-packaged fruits, vegetables, and salads for their high nutritional value, convenience, and great taste, perfect for the health-conscious professionals in Columbia’s growing technology and startup sector as well as hospitality workers throughout Grindstone Plaza and downtown venues.
  5. Protein and Calcium: For a healthy boost, grab low-fat milk or yogurt during breaks at government offices, university departments, or between evening shifts at downtown entertainment establishments.
  6. Moderate Sweet Treats: Enjoy sweet treats in moderation without completely cutting them out, especially during high-stress periods like Mizzou sporting events or major university academic calendars.
  7. Smart Cookie Alternatives: Animal crackers, fig bars, pop tarts, or graham crackers are lower-fat cookie options that pair well with low-fat milk for added protein, making them ideal grab-and-go choices for Columbia’s commuter workforce and evening bar and restaurant staff.
  8. Nuts for Nuts: Pick a pack of peanuts, almonds, or your favorite nuts for a blend of protein and fiber—a staple for agriculture service professionals and regional visitors who drive through Columbia from surrounding rural communities.
  9. Stay Hydrated: Sometimes thirst is mistaken for hunger, so keep water close at hand, whether you’re navigating Stephens Lake, working in South Providence’s commercial zones, or enjoying the North Village Arts District.
  10. Balanced Snacking: Remember, variety, balance, and moderation are key to smart snacking across all seasons and during peak foot traffic periods in Columbia’s diverse neighborhoods and business districts.