article spotlight: crunch time for school canteens

The school food environment not only shapes children’s eating habits but also has an immediate impact on concentration and learning. For some years now, schools in Western Australia (WA) have been directed to remove foods high in saturated fat, salt and sugar from their canteens, alongside adhering to guidelines on how foods should be classified and balanced on menus under the WA School Food and Drink Criteria policy.

This article, Crunch Time for School Canteens, is a must-read for teachers, canteen staff, students, parents, carers, or anyone interested in child and adolescent nutrition. It argues that while school food policy is well-intentioned, its delivery in real-world school settings is often complex, challenging, and of uncertain effectiveness. The challenges faced by schools include limited access to fresh food, tight budgets and the lower profitability of healthier foods, staffing constraints, and a concern that a focus on banning foods or telling children what not to eat may not necessarily be the most effective way to achieve lasting change.

The article highlights solutions through Fresh School Nutrition Advisory Program (freshSNAP), a free advisory service for all WA primary and secondary schools designed to simplify the process for everyone. It offers tailored support, practical tools, and resources to help schools create healthier food environments and make nutritious choices easier for the whole school community.

Delivered by the National Nutrition Foundation with funding from the Department of Health Western Australia, freshSNAP’s experienced team of nutrition, education and health promotion professionals offers free consultations, traffic light training, access to the FoodChecker online menu assessment tool with training, professional learning, canteen support, recipes, school incursions and ongoing guidance to help build healthier food environments for Western Australian children and adolescents.