Today, I went in to our flourescent-lighted/wood paneled breakroom and took a gander at the bevy of items in the vending machine. It seems like every time I go to a vending machine (ours in particular), I am bummed by the overall selection. Seems like auto shop waiting rooms and hotels always have the best selection, but how often am I in vicinity of those vending machines. Anyway, I decided to write up a list of my top 10 favorite vending machine snacks (in no particular order) so here they are.

1. Red Zingers – man-oh-man, how I love some of these. Take the texture of a twinkie and soak it in raspberry sauce with coconut. YUM! I rarely get this one, cause of the calorie intake (I think it has about 500 calories for a 3 pack, more if you are one of the lucky ones that gets that bonus Zinger).

2. Bugles (original kind) – I enjoy Bugles for the texture and crunchiness and for the fact that you can put them on your fingers and pretend you are a witch.

3. Hostess/Dolly Madison donuts – Love the powdered sugar, hate the mess…also enjoy the coconut crunch and brown sugar kind. When I get a pack of donuts for breakfast, I never feel cheated, unlike when I get a bag of those mini-muffins. Those donuts (which I’ve heard are some of the worst things you can eat…period, but who cares?) are some good eaten.

4. Gardettos – 2 words…RYE CHIPS.

5. Keebler Rainbow Chip cookies – These are some of the best cookies that I’ve eaten from a vending machine. And how can you not like it with that cute elf staring at you from the package?

6. M&M’s (reg. And peanut) – the ol’ standard. I sometimes scarf them down and other times enjoy them one by one. They just have this way of making life a little more cheerier.

7. Cheese on cheese crackers – I don’t get this one very often, but maybe why I like them has something to do with the fact that I’m cheesy.

8. Starburst (original) . A chewy and fruity delight…though, I don’t think it could be considered a healthy serving of fruit. I did see on tv the other day where you can nuke it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds and it becomes a clay of sorts to shape into all kinds of different things. Sounds like a great idea to do with kids.

9. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – I mean, how could I not put this one on here? I eat mine in little mini bites – no certain formation.

10. Cheetos – Now, I’m curious as to how they came up with the concept for these. Yeah, they are messy, but man are they addictive. If I had a giant bag of them in front of me right now, I could prob. Eat it without stopping, so this is why I don’t buy them at the store just to have around to munch on. I know myself too well. An occasional Big Grab will have to do.

Honorable Mention: Funyons…Best to eat if you plan on not talking to anyone for the rest of the day.

AND 3 of the worst???

1. Bear Claws – half the time, these have some type of ooey, gooey filling that makes it unappetizing to look at. I always question how fresh they really are.

2. Andy Capp’s Hot Fries…Um, these are just not for me. I don’t like hot, spicy stuff. YUCK! One a side note, are there any other cartoon-sponsored vending machine products on the market?

3. Sausage and Cheese combo pack – The little piece of shriveled sausage is ok on it’s own, but when paired with that long cheddar-like string cheese, it is totally barf-worthy. I rarely throw snack food away, and this is one of those that I just can’t stomach.

So, what is your favorite/least favorite vending machine food?