Healthy eating in schools
The healthy eating procedures for schools provides direction and guidance that support and model healthy eating options for students and school communities.
Schools have an important role in promoting healthy eating to students and providing an environment that supports a healthy lifestyle.
There is strong evidence to suggest that students who are active and eat well have better learning outcomes and improved overall health and wellbeing.
Eating at school
For tips and ideas for your child’s recess and lunch, please visit:
- Eating at school webpage for parents/carers
- Healthy Eating Active Living: healthy school lunchboxes
Crunch&Sip®
Crunch&Sip® is a set time during the school day for primary aged children to crunch on fruit and vegetables and sip water in the classroom.
Why it matters:
Developing healthy habits can help kids have better health and wellbeing
throughout life. It can also help them do their best at school. Research suggests
children who eat a healthy diet including fruit and vegetables are more likely to:
- concentrate better and remember more
- perform better academically
- have better mental health.
For more information about Crunch&Sip® please visit the NSW Health Crunch&Sip® webpage.
Healthy school canteens
A healthy school canteen supports a 'whole-of-school' approach to student health and wellbeing, and reinforces healthy eating messages taught in the classroom. A school canteen:
- Sells food and drink items to students through an arrangement with the school regularly (at least once every two weeks).
- Is located on school grounds and run by the school, parent groups, volunteers, or third-party providers.
Parents/carers should note that schools that provide food through cafes, takeaway shops, or catering services are not considered to have a canteen. However, healthy food options should still be encouraged in these settings.
All schools that have a canteen implement the NSW Health School Canteens Strategy and all are encouraged to complete a free menu check every 3 years to ensure healthy food and drink options are available and sugar-sweetened drinks are not sold in schools.
Canteen providers
If you are a canteen provider and would like further information about healthy canteens, please contact Healthy Food Information Service on 1800 930 966 or email healthyfood@health.nsw.gov.au.
Menu check
The Healthy Food Information Service offers a free canteen menu assessment and will verify if a school canteen is meeting the Food and Drink Criteria that underpins the NSW Healthy Canteen Strategy.
When the canteen manager completes a menu check submission, this will be signed by the school principal. Schools that pass the menu check receive a ‘Great Choice’ badge and certificate to display in the canteen.
If a new menu is introduced or a new provider takes over the running of the canteen and changes the menu, a updated menu check will need to be submitted for assessment.
Menu check application and resources
The following resources can provide further information for Canteen Providers:
- The standard menu check application form
- Understanding the menu check service - information for licensed providers
The menu check application form can be completed and emailed to healthyfood@health.nsw.gov.au.
Frequently asked questions
The NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy applies only to foods and drinks sold within the canteen on regular school days. For special events, such as school fairs or carnivals, the principal may decide on available food options . It’s recommended that healthy food options be promoted at all school activities.
The NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy only applies to food sold in the school canteen, not to items sold at fundraisers or events outside the canteen.
Canteen staff are not expected to oversee how often students purchase items or limit sales to individual students.
The canteen cannot sell birthday cakes or iced cupcakes that don't meet the NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy. Instead, canteens can offer healthier celebratory options like fruit platters, low sugar fruit juice icy poles, popcorn, or mini fruit muffins.
Contact details
For further information, please contact Student.Health@det.nsw.edu.au.