In 2010, as a cause of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA), passed by the U.S Congress, schools established nutrition standards for all foods that are sold in schools to promote a healthy environment. These requirements took effect July 1, 2014. This law says that the nutrition standards apply to all food sold on school campus, and anytime from midnight before and 30 minutes after the official end of the school day, not including the school meal programs.

These standards apply to a la carte, school stores, snack bars, vending machines, fundraising, and other places food is sold to students during the day.

This law was passed to help kids eat healthier and to promote a healthy school atmosphere, but does it really help?

Marcos Montanez a sophomore says he has bought food from the vending machines. “No, they didn’t make me eat better,” Montanez says. He also said he doubts that the healthy snacks make people eat better and even though he thinks this, he says they should continue trying with the healthy snacks.

Allison Waldt, another sophomore said she has also bought food items from the vending machines. She said, “No they aren’t filling and make me want to eat more.” She thinks that there’s better healthy snacks available and the snacks in the machines aren’t doing a very good job with helping students eat better. Even though she thinks this, she says they should continue the snacks because obesity is a big problem among teens.