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For many schools and preschools moving to a healthy food environment will mean a number
of changes to the foods and drinks supplied to students across the whole school or preschool
site, and to the way the canteen or food service operates. A key role of the canteen committee
is to consider ways to keep the school community informed about canteen happenings through
newsletter promotion, notices or canteen visits for newly enrolled families. Promoting what’s
new and good on the menu rather that what is coming off the menu creates optimism and
interest in the changing menu, students value being involved in school decision making in
meaningful ways, and there are many ways students can actively support the Right Bite Strategy,
ranging from hosting special theme days to organising tastings of new menu items at school
assemblies, hosting competitions or linking to special theme days.
Canteen Coordinator: We take um suggestions from our students and staff and community,
we put it in the newsletter asking for ideas, suggestions.
Principal: we got the students who are on, on the canteen committee to talk about the
sorts of things that they would like to eat, things they thought they could drop off the
menu, the things they would like to add.
Teacher 1: Yeah, I think those kids on the student wellbeing team are probably the really
quite powerful kids and the kids that have the best understanding of the red, green and
amber foods and, and their significance in I guess our school but also in their life.
Teacher 2: um so they have dialogue back and forth about um what the students want, um
in terms of the canteen, that’s working well.
Student: I work on the canteen committee to ask the students and staff of they’re happy
with the food from the canteen, what new things we could add and then I go take that to canteen
committee and we work that out together