A SPRINGVALE primary school has installed a healthy food canteen menu to improve students’ diets and combat childhood obesity.
Coomoora Primary School this week celebrated the canteen makeover as part of Education Week and to reflect on the transition students have made in their eating habits.
Pushed aside are fatty and sugary foods in favour of healthy alternatives such as rice and pasta.
School teacher Nardi Brown, who has heavily promoted the healthy food to students, said in addition to the food change, students were encouraged to do physical activity each day.
She said the food on offer was just as exciting as traditional meat pies and sausage rolls, but much healthier.
“We have not totally phased those foods out, but you rarely see them now in the classroom.
“We now have hot chicken rolls, lasagne, fried rice, chilli chicken rolls.”
The latter, she said, was the most popular item, and used real breast chicken, not processed meat.
The school’s 500 students have also been given alternatives to popular favourites such as icy poles and soft drinks.
“Our canteen sells yoghurt, fresh fruit, and fruit salad,” Ms Brown said.
“We have fresh water, mineral water, we have phased out fizzy drinks.
“And we’ve looked at icy poles and provided healthy milk and yoghurt alternatives.”
The healthy eating vibe has extended beyond the realm of students with the school educating parents, too.
“We have responded to a need in our community to educate parents on the foods available in Australia because we have a large migrant population of second-generation students attending,” Ms Brown said. “We began parent forums last year, and we always have interpreters at the forums.”
Coomoora Primary School’s celebration of its healthy canteen comes as the State Government has imposed bans on high-sugar soft-drinks being sold in schools in an attempt to tackle childhood obesity.
