The start of a new year is a great time to reflect on how your organisation can support the wellbeing of your staff and visitors by providing access to nutritious foods and drinks on site.
Whether it’s via your vending machines, event catering, or on-site food outlets, having healthier foods and drinks available, and reducing the amount of unhealthy items, will give your staff the energy and vitality to be at their best. It can even boost their mood and mental health and support their long-term health and wellbeing. The Healthy Eating Advisory Service, delivered by Nutrition Australia Vic Division with support from the Victorian Government, is available to provide free information, training, and resources to assist you to provide and promote healthier foods and drinks in your organisation.
Do you know how healthy your foods and drinks are? Find out with FoodChecker! FoodChecker is the free Victorian Government on-line tool that helps you assess the foods and drinks provided in your organisation, and get recommendations for healthier changes. More than 2700 people from over 1400 organisations have used FoodChecker to find out if the foods and drinks they supply align with the Victorian Government Healthy Choices guidelines.
When Rochester and Elmore District Health Service assessed their café menu, they found that only 14% of their foods and drinks were in the GREEN healthiest category, and a whopping 63% were classified RED. Their FREE FoodChecker report gave them the evidence they needed to advocate for making healthier changes. Fast forward to 2020 and the café and catering menus now provide 59% GREEN options, and only 7% RED! Does your organisation offer enough healthy options? Find out on FoodChecker!
The Healthy Eating Advisory Service (HEAS) also offers free online training for food outlet staff to learn how to supply healthier options. In 2020 HEAS will be launching an updated tailored support program to help organisations implement the Healthy Choices guidelines.
Find out more about how the Health Eating Advisory Service can assist you to provide and promote healthier foods and drinks in your organisation on their website.
Increasing healthy eating is a focus area of the Victorian public health and wellbeing plan 2019–2023 . Guidance to assist implementation of actions to increase health eating across a range of settings is available here.