Sick of the potato chips, cookies, cola, and candy bars found in your standard vending machine? Your prayers for more food choices on the go may soon be answered. Last week at the National Automatic Merchandising Association's expo at the McCormick Place in Chicago a variety of new vending machines featuring healthier food alternatives and a wider selection of food took the stage.

If you're on a diet, you might avoid the vending machines altogether, knowing the sugary sweets and fattening snacks that they typically house. But Kraft Foods now has a special vending machine that's slowing popping up around the country that has the diet and weight-conscious in mind. Kraft is now pushing the popular South Beach Diet brand with the intorduction of South Beach Diet-branded machines stocked with only foods that are compliant with the program. Those snacks include Breakstone's low-fat cottage cheese, Jell-O sugar free gelatin snacks, Planters nuts, Nabisco Wheat Thins, Crystal Light drinks, and South Beach Diet lunch wraps. Several of these machines were placed in Florida last month, and if successful, could soon be spreading out across the country.

Other interesting innovations include a vending machine that dispenses grilled hot dogs and sausages "snuggled in soft, warm buns", and an internet connected machine that will allow parents to log-on and limit the number of snacks their children can buy.

One company is also implementing a feature that would allow you to pay for your vending machine purchases with up to a $20 bill, and receive your change in dollar bills (instead of handfuls of change). Credit and debit card payment capabilities are also expected to further expand to more vending machines.

Vending machine sales have slowed over the past few years, so any new innovations as far as food choices and payment options is sure to provide a welcome boost.