A healthy start to school

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A healthy start to school
Produced by NAQ Nutrition Food Smart Schools
Program with funding received from the Smart
Choices Initiative
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A healthy start to school

• Promoting healthy foods and drinks is important
  to our school community
• (Insert your school logo here)

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What is Smart Choices?

• Queensland Government initiative aimed at
  improving the nutritional value of foods and
  drinks supplied to students in schools
• Smart Choices applies to
• tuckshops, canteens and vending machines
• fundraising events food drives, sausage sizzles
• school dances, fetes, movie nights
• sports days swimming and athletic carnivals,
  on site sports clubs (e.g. swim clubs)
• school excursions if the school provides the
  foods and drinks
• classroom rewards

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Smart Choices

• Classifies foods and drinks into three categories
  according to nutritional value

GREEN FOODS Have plenty
AMBER FOODS Select carefully
RED FOODS Occasionally (no more than two times
per term)
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Australian Guide to Healthy Eating

• Smart Choices is based on the Australian Guide to
  Healthy Eating

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Smart foods for kids

• A range of ways you can support Smart Choices and
  promote health and wellbeing in your children
• talk to children about the importance of healthy
  foods and drinks
• model healthy eating at home
• provide children with a good breakfast and a
  healthy lunchbox
• volunteer at the tuckshop/canteen and other
  school events where possible
• be a part of our school parent organisation.

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Importance of breakfast

• Breakfast is important for children because
• it improves their mood, classroom focus, memory
  and learning
• childrens appetites are often best in the first
  half of the day
• protein foods at breakfast are a good idea, for
  example, dairy, eggs, baked beans
• it is very difficult to meet daily nutrient needs
  if breakfast is missed.

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Healthy breakfast examples

• Wholegrain cereals (e.g. porridge, muesli, wheat
  cereal) topped with reduced fat milk or yoghurt
  and a piece of fruit
• Wholegrain toast with low fat healthy spreads, or
  served with baked beans/banana/egg/ cheese and
  tomato and a piece of fruit
• Breakfast on the run fruit such as banana,
  reduced fat milk and yoghurt smoothie

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Importance of fluids

• Inadequate fluid throughout the day can lead to
• fatigue, listlessness, headache and low mood
• Water is best pack a refillable water bottle
  every day
• Milk is next best will need to be kept cold
• Juice should be 100 and small serve size
• No soft drinks, cordials, sports drinks or
  flavoured waters
• No energy drinks

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Importance of healthy lunchboxes

• About half a childs daily nutrition needs will
  be met while at school
• Important that lunchbox food is nutritious
• Provides energy, and the vitamins and minerals
  needed to help with growth, play, learning, focus
  and mood

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Lunchbox choices
Aim for at least one food from each of the five
core food groups in the lunchbox

• Milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives, mostly
  reduced fat
• Reduced fat milk
• Soy milk (or other cows milk alternative) with
  added calcium
• Reduced fat cheese
• Reduced fat yoghurt

• Grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and/or
  high fibre varieties
• Wholegrain bread and bread rolls
• Wholegrain cereals
• Wholegrain pita/pocket bread
• Lavash or Turkish bread
• Fruit bread
• Rice cakes
• Pikelets, muffins and scones

• Vegetables and legumes/beans
• Salads tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, celery,
  lettuce, sprouts, corn on the cob
• Vegetables stir-fried, corn on the cob, carrot
  sticks, capsicum slices, snow peas
• Reduced fat potato salad or coleslaw
• Small can of baked beans

• Fruit
• Fresh whole fruit
• Fruit salad
• Canned fruit in natural juice
• Dried fruit (30g serve, or 4 dried apricot halves
  or 1 ½ tablespoons sultanas

• Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts
  and seeds, and legumes/beans
• Sliced cooked lean meats lamb, ham, chicken,
  roast beef, turkey
• Boiled eggs
• Tuna/salmon
• Legumes including baked beans, chickpeas,
  lentils, butter beans, kidney beans

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More healthy lunchbox ideas

• Dip and vege sticks
• Corn on the cob
• Air-popped popcorn
• Bottle of water
• Milk poppers
• Yoghurt, custard
• Fresh and frozen fruit

• Wraps, rolls and sandwiches
• Pita bread/English muffin pizzas
• Noodle, rice or pasta dishes
• Sushi, rice paper rolls
• Frittata or quiche
• Cheese and wholegrain crackers

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Which is more expensive?
Apple 4.00/kg
Popcorn 4.10/kg
Crisps 30.00/kg
Fruit strap 43.50/kg
Cheese and crackers 9.04kg
Pre-packaged cheese and crackers 32.10kg
Fruit bread 7.70/kg
Muesli bar 24.10kg
Prices are approximate and may vary
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Managing food allergies at school

• Education Queensland has a policy for managing
  allergies in schools Anaphylaxis Guidelines for
  Queensland State Schools
• Our school policy/procedure in relation to
  managing allergies (including food allergies) is
• (insert school policy/procedure)

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Further information
For more information
Department of Education, Training and Employment
(DETE) Smart Choices www.education.qld.gov.au/scho
ols/healthy
NAQ Nutrition Food Smart Schools Program Ph (07)
3257 4393 info_at_foodsmartschools.org www.foodsmarts
chools.org