But a Canberra woman is aiming to turn that perception on its head. Melissa Moss was a youth worker in Canberra when she decided to open her business, Vital Vending, about a year ago.

Ms Moss said she was tired of seeing the junk food sold to her clients in schools and was inspired to provide alternative vending machines with healthier snacks.

''I worked with children with behavioural difficulties in refuge housing and I was amazed when I took these kids to school to see what was available to them,'' she said.

Her vending machines were now in Canberra Girls Grammar School and had been a hit with students, Ms Moss said.

''I try to get some gluten-free products, if it's dairy I try to use a low-fat dairy, I also look not just at the type of product but the serving size as well,'' she said.

The ACT Health Directorate is considering a proposal to have 80 per cent of food sold in health directorate vending machines, canteens and cafes health-rated ''green'' or ''amber'', and to have ''red''-level food, such as soft drinks and chocolates, removed from eye level in vending machines.

Under the recommendations, released in a discussion paper, red foods would not be allowed to be used for fund-raising, awards, incentives or gifts.

Ms Moss said she tendered in December for a contract to provide 30 vending machines labelled with the traffic-light system to the Canberra Hospital and was frustrated a provider had not yet been chosen.

She said the tender might now go to one of the large corporate operators.

''It's impossible for smaller vending companies to suddenly have to go into that venture after waiting so long, because a lot of people would have gone down different tracks with their businesses,'' she said.