By Cam Lucadou-Wells
With the pick of its garden’s fresh goodies, Athol Road Primary School’s after-school care has taken out an inaugural Vic Kids Eat Well Award.
Last year, the service revamped its menu in a healthy way with the help of an adviser from the renowned Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Program.
The students voted for the new offerings, opting for delicacies such as vegie pizza, rice paper rolls, vegie risotto and healthy fried rice.
With the adviser’s help, senior students learned cooking skills and prepared the nutritious meals for the other kids.
Plenty of its menu has been sourced from the Springvale South school’s “mini-farm” – a kitchen garden brimming with fresh strawberries, raspberries, corn, herbs and lemons, as well as chook and duck eggs and honey.
One of the latest dishes is cheesy pesto pasta made from the vegie patch’s fresh basil.
They’re also introduced to the delicate art of ‘flavour bombs’ – stock ice-cubes of basil, thyme and rosemary to inject zest into soups.
After-school care coordinator Wendy Beveridge says the students love to cook with the produce they cultivate and harvest.
“I do have children who are not vegetable eaters, but they do try everything we cook.”
Meanwhile, Frankie & Co café at Springvale Community Hub scored an honourable mention in the awards for a daringly healthy snacks menu for children.
With advice from the Stephanie Alexander program, it scaled back on junk food and added fresh fruit cups, healthy drinks and snack packs of popcorn, cheese and crackers, dried apricots and sultanas.
Owner Siva Kanteti said making a healthy revamp was the “right thing to do”.
However the pioneering move was not necessarily commercially successful.
“We are the only cafe in this area doing it. To be honest, the red-light (junk) foods are going to make me a lot more money and the green-light (healthy) foods don’t make huge sales or huge margins.
“But we’re not just here to act selfishly.”
Vic Kids Eat Well is supported by the Victorian Government and is delivered by Cancer Council Victoria’s Achievement Program, in partnership with Nutrition Australia’s Healthy Eating Advisory Service.
Cancer Council Victoria chief executive Todd Harper said the program launched last year was setting foundations for children’s good health in later life.
“Step by step, organisations changed canteen, sports club or kiosk menus to introduce delicious fruit and veggie options and promote water.
“They encouraged kids to get involved in planning and cooking fresh produce from their community gardens or learning about different food cultures.
“With over 650 organisations that have now joined Vic Kids Eat Well, we hope to see more inspired to ‘take a bite’ towards a healthier future for all kids living in Victoria.”
Nutrition Australia chief executive Lucinda Hancock paid tribute to the “biggest champions” – the children who embraced the healthy food switch.
