Dhelkaya Health now provides healthier drink options to support the health and wellbeing of their staff and visitors. The health promotion team with the support of food service have successfully removed all sugary drinks from their cafeteria, vending machines and catering, with the service now meeting the Healthy choices: policy directive.
This change was in recognition of the important role health services have as key leaders in providing healthier food and drink options to support the health and wellbeing of their staff and visitors.
Dhelkaya Health now uses a traffic light rating of drinks based on their nutritional value for planning their menu, with a larger selection of healthy ‘green’ choices, fewer ‘amber’ drinks, and no sugary ‘red’ drinks made available for sale. Sugary drink varieties were slowly reduced in the lead-up to their complete removal in August 2022. The drinks fridge is now stocked with small juices and flavoured milks and carbonated and still varieties of water.
A staff survey found that the majority of staff had positive attitudes towards the change in drink offerings.
“It’s easier for people to make better choices when they’re not tempted by unhealthy options”, said one staff member.
Dhelkaya Health has since worked through the second phase of the Policy directive, making healthier food choices available internally for staff in the hospital’s cafeteria, catering, and vending machines. Available varieties of chocolate and chips has already been reduced, and the chef is modifying recipes to provide healthier meals options for staff and visitors.
Inspired to offer healthier options at your workplace or retail outlet? Find out more about Healthy Choices here: https://heas.health.vic.gov.au/healthy-choices/guidelines.