Healthy Start

A healthy start to school
Produced by NAQ Nutrition Food Smart Schools Program with funding received from the
Smart Choices Initiative
A healthy start to school
Promoting healthy foods and drinks is important to our

school community
(Insert your school logo here)
What is Smart Choices?
• Queensland Government initiative aimed at

improving the nutritional value of foods and
drinks supplied to students in schools
• Smart Choices applies to:
• tuckshops, canteens and vending machines
• fundraising events – food drives, sausage sizzles
• school dances, fetes, movie nights
• sports days – swimming and athletic carnivals, on site sports
clubs (e.g. swim clubs)
• school excursions if the school provides the foods and drinks
• classroom rewards
Smart Choices
• Classifies foods and drinks into three categories
according to nutritional value
GREEN FOODS
Have plenty
AMBER FOODS
Select carefully
RED FOODS
Occasionally
(no more than two
times per term)
Australian Guide to Healthy Eating
• Smart Choices is based on the Australian
Guide to Healthy Eating
Smart foods for kids
A range of ways you can support Smart Choices
and promote health and wellbeing in your
children:
• talk to children about the importance of healthy foods
and drinks
• model healthy eating at home
• provide children with a good breakfast and a healthy
lunchbox
• volunteer at the tuckshop/canteen and other school
events where possible
• be a part of our school parent organisation.
Importance of breakfast
Breakfast is important for children because:

• it improves their mood, classroom focus, memory
and learning
• children’s appetites are often best in the first half
of the day
• protein foods at breakfast are a good idea, for
example, dairy, eggs, baked beans
• it is very difficult to meet daily nutrient needs if
breakfast is missed.
Healthy breakfast examples
• Wholegrain cereals (e.g. porridge, muesli,
wheat cereal) topped with reduced fat milk or
yoghurt and a piece of fruit
• Wholegrain toast with low fat healthy
spreads, or served with baked
beans/banana/egg/ cheese and tomato and a
piece of fruit
• Breakfast on the run – fruit such as banana,
reduced fat milk and yoghurt smoothie
Importance of fluids
• Inadequate fluid throughout the

day can lead to:
• fatigue, listlessness, headache and
low mood
• Water is best – pack a refillable water bottle
every day
• Milk is next best – will need to be kept cold
• Juice should be 100% and small serve size
• No soft drinks, cordials, sports drinks or
flavoured waters
• No energy drinks
Importance of healthy lunchboxes
• About half a child’s daily nutrition
needs will be met while at school
• Important that lunchbox food is
nutritious
• Provides energy, and the vitamins
and minerals needed to help with
growth, play, learning, focus and
mood
Lunchbox choices
Aim for at least one food from each of the
five core food groups in the lunchbox
Grain (cereal) foods, Milk, yoghurt, cheese Vegetables and

mostly wholegrain and/or and/or alternatives, mostly legumes/beans
high fibre varieties reduced fat -Salads – tomatoes, carrots,
-Wholegrain bread and bread -Reduced fat milk cucumber, celery, lettuce, sprouts,
rolls -Soy milk (or other cow’s milk corn on the cob
-Wholegrain cereals alternative) with added calcium -Vegetables – stir-fried, corn on
-Wholegrain pita/pocket bread -Reduced fat cheese the cob, carrot sticks, capsicum
-Lavash or Turkish bread -Reduced fat yoghurt slices, snow peas
-Fruit bread -Reduced fat potato salad or
-Rice cakes coleslaw
-Pikelets, muffins and scones -Small can of baked beans
Lean meats and poultry, Fruit

- Fresh whole fruit
fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and
- Fruit salad
seeds, and legumes/beans - Canned fruit in natural juice
-Sliced cooked lean meats – - Dried fruit (30g serve, or 4
lamb, ham, chicken, roast beef, dried apricot halves or 1 ½
turkey tablespoons sultanas
-Boiled eggs
-Tuna/salmon
-Legumes including baked
beans, chickpeas, lentils, butter
beans, kidney beans
More healthy lunchbox ideas
• Wraps, rolls and • Dip and vege sticks
sandwiches • Corn on the cob
• Pita bread/English muffin • Air-popped popcorn
pizzas • Bottle of water
• Noodle, rice or pasta dishes • Milk poppers
• Sushi, rice paper rolls • Yoghurt, custard
• Frittata or quiche • Fresh and frozen fruit
• Cheese and wholegrain
crackers
Which is more expensive?
Apple Fruit strap Popcorn Crisps

$4.00/kg $43.50/kg $4.10/kg $30.00/kg
Cheese and Pre-packaged Fruit Muesli

crackers cheese and bread bar
$9.04kg crackers $7.70/kg $24.10kg
$32.10kg
* Prices are approximate and may vary
Managing food allergies at school
• Education Queensland has a policy for
managing allergies in schools – Anaphylaxis
Guidelines for Queensland State Schools
• Our school policy/procedure in relation to
managing allergies (including food allergies) is:
(insert school policy/procedure)
Further information
For more information
Department of Education, Training and Employment (DETE)

Smart Choices
www.education.qld.gov.au/schools/healthy
NAQ Nutrition
Food Smart Schools Program
Ph: (07) 3257 4393
[email protected]
www.foodsmartschools.org

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A healthy start to school

Promoting healthy foods and drinks is important to our

• Queensland Government initiative aimed at

Breakfast is important for children because:

• Inadequate fluid throughout the

Grain (cereal) foods, Milk, yoghurt, cheese Vegetables and

Lean meats and poultry, Fruit

Apple Fruit strap Popcorn Crisps

Cheese and Pre-packaged Fruit Muesli

Department of Education, Training and Employment (DETE)

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