There are many factors that should be taken into consideration when menu planning e.g.
- the size of the school (number of students) number of lunches prepared each day
- number of people who work in the canteen and their level of expertise in preparing food
- equipment available
- the nutritional value of the food and drinks.
Public school canteens must comply with the Department of Education’s Student Health in Public Schools policy, including Healthy Food and Drink and reflect the Australian Dietary Guidelines and Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.
Canteen staff should refer to the Star Choice™ Buyers Guide to assist in menu planning. The Guide provides a list of registered items that are suitable for use in canteens as well as for fundraising and special events.
The Guide was produced in response to requests from schools for guidance about which processed food products are suitable for sale in school canteens. The Guide is distributed to all schools in WA and many community organisations in January and July each year. Schools will also be informed of new products in the Foodcore CanTeam newsletter. You can also access a PDF copy of the Buyers Guide below.
