College

Whole-School Approach to Healthy Eating Policy

Rationale

The school's food services and curriculum programs on healthy eating should be complementary. Positive peer pressure within the education setting can create a culture in which nutritious foods and a healthy lifestyle are actively chosen. This culture should permeate the entire school environment and can have an impact on choices made by students about food consumption when they are not at school.

A positive attitude towards a school canteen that supports healthy eating should be promoted and endorsed. This is facilitated through a whole-school approach to nutrition.

Aims

• To make it easy for students to choose healthy snacks and meals
• Offers a variety of nutritious foods
• Promotes foods that are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia
• Can be an avenue for consistent and continual health education
• Complements the diverse elements of the school curriculum
• Involves students, parents and the wider school community
• Is an integral part of the entire healthy school environment.

Implementation

1. Curriculum, teaching and learning:

• developing curriculum that supports healthy food choices
• encouraging students to become involved in food-related activities, for example planning meals, growing foods, shopping for food products, cooking and promoting foods.

2. School organisation, ethos and environment:

• offering a variety of nutritious foods at the Canteen and promoting wise decision making about food choices
• the Canteen is provided as a service to the school community and is not a funding raising enterprise and must comply with Department of Education policy and guidelines
• aiming to promote and encourage healthy eating consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia

3. Community links and partnerships:

• making links with local fruit and vegetable retailers – this could include a school visit by the retailers, or an excursion to a local market
• the student's canteen reflects the value the school puts on healthy eating practices to students to students and the wider school community. In addition to providing nutritious foods, the canteen has an important role in health educational and community role in promoting health within the school.