4 simple steps for a healthier school canteen

In our recent webinar, we were joined by Anneliese Twigg, a Registered Nutritionist from Nutrition Australia, to discuss how schools can make small changes to their canteen and have a big impact on the health and wellbeing of their students. 

We all know how vital it is for children to get the right nutrients to fuel their growing bodies and minds. Healthy eating is crucial for long-term health, growth and development, concentration and building lifelong habits. 

It’s more important than ever to facilitate healthier choices for children and adolescents. Especially when you consider that more than a third of the energy intake for 4–18-year-olds is classified as discretionary foods and drinks – things like chips, sweets, processed snacks and soft drinks.¹ 

And because children spend so much of their time at school, professionals who work in the education sector and particularly those who run school canteens and food services, have an important role to play. But big impact doesn’t always mean big changes – sometimes small tweaks can do wonders. Here are a few to try in your school.

Like raising kids, creating meaningful change often takes a village. That’s why it’s important to take a ‘whole of school’ approach when looking to improve the health and wellbeing of your students. Elevating the options in the school canteen is one tactic. Another is developing a healthy eating policy. You might also engage in community partnerships to implement healthy eating initiatives or work with educators to embed healthy eating in the curriculum.

All states and territories in Australia have food and drink policies for the schools. Their guidelines often use a traffic light system to classify items based on their nutritional value.

Green food and drinks should make up the majority of the canteen menu – think wholegrain sandwiches, wraps, salads and sushi.

Amber items are things like muffins, hot dogs, pizza and sweet dairy drinks. These should be kept to a minimum.

Red food and drinks should be avoided as they lack adequate nutritional value and are typically high in energy, saturated fat, sodium and/or sugar. Doughnuts, chocolates, ice creams, chips and soft drinks may be served on rare occasions but should not appear regularly on school canteen menus.

First, consider whether the items you’re adding are healthy. Do they comfortably fall into the green category? If not, is there a healthier alternative?

Second, consider the cost – how much will you charge for the item; what is the markup; what will it cost the canteen to produce or source this new item?

Next, think about variety – does this widen the variety of options available?

And finally, consider preparation and storage – is there adequate space to store it; do you have the equipment to prepare it?

Whether you’re phasing out certain products or dropping them cold turkey, you need to keep students and parents informed. Let them know what the changes are and why they’re occurring. Giving them advanced notice and a reason behind the choice will help get them on board.

Watch the full webinar recording for even more tips and tactics for creating a healthier school canteen. And if you’re looking for a supplier to support you through the process, look no further. Woolworths at Work is designed to make managing school supplies easy. 

Our great value range is loaded with healthier snacks, fresh fruit and nourishing ingredients to give students the energy to do great work. Our online ordering platform has tools like saved lists, quick reorder and filters to help you get what you need and get back to your day. Plus, we have plenty of free resources and ongoing support from a dedicated team to help you bring positive change to your school.

If you’re not already a Woolworths at Work customer, sign up today or speak to a specialist.

¹ According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics