This effort began in early 2014 when healthy vending was an emerging policy issue for the American Heart Association. Discussions with community partners, such as the Tulsa County Wellness Partnership and Tulsa Health Department helped elevate the issue further. The City of Tulsa was already offering healthy food and beverage options in vending machines located in City Hall. Mayor Dewey Bartlett Jr. and his staff recognized the importance of institutionalizing the City’s practice of offering healthy options in vending machines at City Hall by expanding this practice to all City property in order to further promote the City’s commitment to improving the health of its employees and visitors.
The American Heart Association advocates for healthier options in all worksite cafeterias and vending machines and applauds the City of Tulsa for leading the nation on this important effort to ensure access to healthy options for those that live, work, and play in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Resources are available to help companies develop their own policies and tips to make a workplace healthier in the Healthy Workplace Food and Beverage Toolkit.