ASU wellness program brings healthy vending options to downtown campus
This semester you may have noticed a larger variety of food and drink options available in the vending machines at ASU’s downtown Phoenix campus.
The pilot program, which was introduced in May, has replaced sodas and energy drinks in a portion of the machines around the campus with juices, protein shakes and teas.
Healthier snack options, including granola bars, nuts and high-fiber chips, can be found in the Cronkite building and at the College of Nursing.
The Sun Devil Fitness Complex, which has been open for 5 years, is now offering snack and beverage vending for the first time.
“This particular initiative, connecting the different units of the downtown Phoenix campus with the goal of healthy living, really gets me excited,” Teri Pipe, chief well-being officer at ASU who led the pilot program, said in an ASU Now article.
The new program supports the goals of the Live Well @ ASU program that aim to support the Sun Devil community in living a healthy lifestyle by making resources available, Krystal Lewis, ASU’s manager of strategic partnerships who played a large part in implementing the pilot, said in the same ASU Now article.
Counseling services, health services and Sun Devil fitness are some of the wellness resources available to students on the ASU campus.
Tao Connect is self-help tool for emotional well-being that can be accessed for free from your mobile device with your ASU email. It provides resources that help to manage stress, improve relationships and enhance mood.
Lewis said the diversity of vending choices will allow the university to better understand the decisions that consumers are making.
“Many of the new healthier snacks have a similar taste to the more traditional vending options,” she said. “We’re looking forward to examining the impact this initiative has on our campus.”
The vending machines, which are being stocked with the healthier options through Coca-Cola and Gilly Vending, are now displaying signs that describe the Live Well @ ASU program in an effort to make those services known to students.
The wellness program at ASU also frequently offers daily tips for students on living well and strengthen mental health on their blog space.
Connected Academic Wellness Day, a chance for students to learn wellness techniques to help with time management, nutrition, mindfulness and financial literacy, is happening at the ASU Tempe campus at the Memorial Union on Oct. 4, at 10 a.m.
Pipe said ASU has “the opportunity to help students shape their own lives and influence positive change.”
