Why your involvement matters
Promoting and fostering healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated. Children are constantly watching, listening and learning from adults and caregivers. You are creating a healthy food environment by role-modelling healthy eating behaviours and speaking positively and encouragingly about healthy, nutritious foods.
Creating a healthy food environment at home
- Cook healthy, nutritious meals at home and involve your child in the cooking process
- School lunches don’t have to be complicated. Keep it simple and nutritious to encourage your child to eat before playing. You can find excellent lunch box ideas here
- Talk about the five food groups and the benefits of each food group to your health
Remember that children start to develop food likes and dislikes from an early age, so offering a variety of foods is important. It may take several attempts before your child likes a new food; patience and persistence is key.
See our recipes to keep your kids happy and healthy.
Ask us anything
FreshSNAP (Fresh School Nutrition Advisory Service) is delivered by Nutrition Australia WA with funding from the Department of Health Western Australia. FreshSNAP is a FREE state-wide service that supports the creation of a whole of school healthy eating environment. We provide free menu assessments and traffic light training, as well as a range of resources, including recipes, curriculum materials and nutrition education.
Yes. The Healthy Food and Drink Policy has been incorporated into the Department of Educations Student Health in Public Schools Policy. You can access the requirements about healthy food and drink by accessing the Student Health in Public Schools procedures, Appendix B. Healthy Food and Drink.
There are now more food and drinks classified as GREEN. The freshSNAP team are here to guide and support you through the changes.
Canteen/food service menus must meet the following requirements:
- GREEN items – account for a minimum of 60% of the menu
- AMBER items – account for a maximum of 40% of the menu, with savoury commercial products that are AMBER items offered on a maximum of two days per week:
- Where an AMBER item has been reclassified as a RED item it may be included on the menu and included in your AMBER count. These items may only be offered on the same two days a week as AMBER’s savoury commercial products. You can learn more about these ‘selected RED items’ here
- This cannot be applied retrospectively. Once a RED item has been removed from a menu, it cannot be re-introduced.
- RED items are not on the menu (other than those included in your AMBER content as outlined above).
The Department of Health Western Australia has developed a new WA School Food and Drink Criteria to classify food and drinks provided in WA schools according to the traffic light system: GREEN (healthiest), AMBER, or RED (less healthy). The WA School Food and Drink Criteria underpins the Student Health in Public Schools procedures, Appendix B. Healthy Food and Drink.
Some menu items will have a new traffic light classification. There are now more food and drinks classified as GREEN! Examples of items that are now GREEN include:
- Full fat dairy (milk, cheese and yoghurt)
- All canned vegetables, legumes and fish (there is no longer a need to be salt reduced to be GREEN)
- Cheese and cracker snack packs
- Plain popcorn
To learn more about the classification of menu items, reach out the freshSNAP team to book an Introduction to the WA School Food and Drink Criteria Training Session. You can contact the freshSNAP team here.
The Department of Education Student Health in Public Schools procedures, Appendix B. Healthy Food and Drink permits the sale of ‘selected RED items’ in WA school canteens. These ‘selected RED items’ are included in the maximum 40% AMBER count and may only be offered on the same two days a week as AMBER savoury commercial products. Once a ‘selected RED item’ has been removed from a menu it cannot be re-introduced.
‘Selected RED items’ must meet the WA School Food and Drink Criteria to be sold in WA school canteens. If the criteria are not met, the item is classified as RED and cannot be on the menu.
You can learn more about ‘selected RED items’ here, or search for the product in FoodChecker to check its classification.
FreshSNAP offers free menu assessments for WA primary and high school canteens. Contact the FreshSNAP team for more information on how to get your menu or recipes assessed.
FoodChecker is a one-of-a-kind digital tool which supports WA schools, residential colleges and boarding houses in creating healthy food and drink environments. The product search feature is available now and there will be more incredible features going live in 2024. This FREE online tools allows you to search for products and view their classification against the WA School Food and Drink Criteria.
Menu and recipe assessments will be available in 2024. In the meantime, to access menu and recipe assessments, simply contact the freshSNAP team.
FreshSNAP offers free training for canteen staff, teaching staff and university students. These sessions can be offered in person or online depending on participant numbers and content topics. Sign up to our mailing list to stay up to date with upcoming public training sessions or contact the team today to discuss your requirements.
Yes, all FreshSNAP services are free of charge.
It might seem like there are a lot of changes. FreshSNAP has put together a comprehensive, easy-to-understand guide to support you through these changes. You can access the guide here.
Remember, the friendly freshSNAP team are just a phone call or email away. The team is here to support you and your school in creating healthy food and drink environments. You can contact us by calling (08) 6182 2260 or emailing waschools@nutritionaustralia.org.au.
The freshSNAP team are here to support WA schools, residential colleges and boarding houses to create healthy food and drink environments. FreshSNAP’s support services include product, recipe and menu assessments, one-on-one consultations, lesson plans and professional development sessions for teachers.
To find out how we can support your school, contact the freshSNAP team today:
Reach out here:
Call: (08) 6182 2260
Email: waschools@nutritionaustralia.org.au
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