An action plan compiled by the food safety watchdog called for publicly funded vending machines in youth centres, schools and other locations to stock healthy food.
The agency also called for young people, particularly vulnerable young people, to be given a bigger say in the healthy eating debate.
Other proposals in the agency's action plan include producing more guidance on food labelling and a proposal to work with TV regulator Ofcom on junk food advertising.
But food campaign group Sustain said the plan does not go far enough.
Jeanette Longfield, co-ordinator at Sustain, said: "A voluntary plan will not work."
John Bateman, chief executive of UK Youth, said the call for healthier options in youth club vending machines would make little difference.
"A lot of youth clubs don't have vending machines because of the prospect of having money on site and also they don't own their premises," he said.
"But youth workers can do a lot of work in getting the healthy eating message across."
Earlier this week, the British Medical Association called on the Government to fulfil its "moral duty" to remove the barriers that prevent young people from having healthy options in order to fight rising levels of obesity.
The association said fear of "nanny statism" would result in a serious epidemic.
Meanwhile, education inspectorate Ofsted has issued a report criticising efforts by schools to reduce obesity.
www.foodstandards.gov.uk/news.
