A Whole School Approach to Healthy Eating

The Department of Education’s Student Health in Public Schools procedures, Appendix B. Healthy Food and Drink should be implemented as part of a whole school approach to healthy eating.

This involves making healthy eating part of everyday school life, by integrating it into planning and curriculum, developing a supportive culture and environment, and engaging the whole school community. Use the suggestions below to start working together with your school community to promote healthy eating.

School Leadership

School principals and school councils can support a whole school approach to healthy eating by:

• Providing leadership support to implement the Student Health in Public Schools procedures, Appendix B. Healthy Food and Drink in all areas of school operations (e.g. school policies, food services, classroom activities, fundraising, special events and sport days).
• Affirming a whole-school approach to healthy eating in school policy and integrating related strategies into school plans to improve health and wellbeing outcomes.
• Providing a physical environment, including facilities and equipment that supports healthy eating choices.
• Informing and encouraging the school community to be involved in planning, delivery and evaluation of school plans, policies, activities and events that promote healthy eating
• Encouraging healthy eating as the ‘norm’ and role modelling healthy eating behaviours and attitudes.

School Classroom

Teachers and other school professionals can support a whole-school approach to healthy eating by implementing the following strategies:

• Including healthy eating education in the school curriculum, across learning areas and year levels.
• Providing opportunities for students to develop and apply knowledge and skills that promote healthy eating (e.g., growing foods, budgeting, shopping, food preparation, cooking and trying new foods).
• Leading and assisting with health promotion and healthy eating activities in the school.
• Advocating healthy eating by teaching healthy eating behaviours and attitudes via Health, Science and Physical Education learning areas.

School Food Services

School food services can support a whole-school approach to healthy eating via many strategies including:

• Providing foods and drinks in-line with the Student Health in Public Schools procedures, Appendix B. Healthy Food and Drink (e.g., ensuring GREEN foods and drinks are always available as the main choice when foods and drinks are provided).
• Trialing new GREEN and culturally diverse foods and drinks and gathering feedback from the school community.
• Presenting GREEN foods and drinks in attractive and appetizing ways.
• Promoting GREEN menu items to the school community via posters, noticeboards, school announcements, newsletter articles and on the school website.

Students

Students can support a whole school approach to healthy eating by:

• Being active participants in the school’s healthy eating activities, both in and out of the classroom.
• Role modelling positive healthy eating behaviours and attitudes to peers.
• Getting involved in healthy eating activities at home (e.g., helping the family with budgeting, food shopping and meal preparation).

Families

Examples of how families can support a whole school approach to healthy eating and assist their child to learn and develop healthy eating attitudes, habits and preferences include:

• Role model positive healthy eating attitudes and behaviours.
• Involve children in healthy eating activities at home (e.g., budgeting, shopping, meal and lunchbox preparation).
• Provide healthy foods and drinks in lunchboxes (e.g., GREEN options always as the main choices, AMBER options limited and in small amounts, RED options avoided, where possible).
• Assist the school to plan, deliver and evaluate healthy eating initiatives.

Community

Local community and business groups can support a whole school approach to healthy eating by:

• Food stores surrounding the school restrict the sale of RED items to school students in and around school hours.
• Businesses support the school’s healthy eating activities such as healthy fundraisers by lending the school necessary equipment, human resources and prizes (e.g., non-food items, discount vouchers and services).
• Community health professionals, services and organisations develop the capacity of the school to promote healthy eating (e.g., by providing health-related information, advice and support).
• Connecting with local fruit and vegetable retailers to support your healthy eating messages across the school, this could include a school visit by the retailers, or an excursion to a local market. Get to know what fruits and vegetables are in season in Western Australia.