Hot dogs and fried food bite the dust as healthy offerings take over in school canteens | Video

Canobolas Rural Technology High School was one of three NSW schools used in videos to promote healthier eating as part of a new policy announced by Premier Gladys Berejiklian this week.

Under the plan, fruit, vegetables, sandwiches, salads and healthy pastas and stir fries will make up 75 per cent of canteen menus.

Fried foods are out, pies, sausage rolls and pizzas are only allowed if they meet strict health standards and special “red” days where schools were allowed less-healthy foods including hot dogs are also out.

Schools will have three years to adjust and bring in the healthier foods.

The policy will apply to state schools however Catholic and independent schools contributed to the strategy and have been encouraged to follow the new policy.

Canobolas high school principal Kate Wootten said the canteen menu was all about healthy and tasty food.

“We’re meeting the guidelines already with most of our food,” she said.

“We still have a limited number of pies and sausage rolls but they are among the more expensive items on the menu.”

Ms Wootten said that since former Orange restaurant chef Andrew Farley took over the canteen last year and created an urban cafe vibe, students were now eating healthy options including fruit cups, smoked salmon and salad wraps and roasted pumpkin pasta.

“The students love it. There was some hesitation at the start,” she said.

“They are being introduced to food they may not have tried elsewhere.”

On the video Mr Farley said he faced opposition early.

“In one of the first weeks I was here I was told I would never sell any fruit at all and I couldn’t even give it away.

“Later that week I had actually sold 20 kg of fruit in the form of our fruit cups which was a really proud moment for me to prove that to be wrong.”

Orange Public School principal Brad Tom said the school’s sorbet day on Thursday was an example of its healthy eating policy.

“Our canteen currently meets 99 per cent of all requirements,” he said.

“It shouldn’t be a huge adjustment.”

Mr Tom said getting rid of the “red” day would mean losing their hot dog day fundraiser but they would find a healthier alternative.

Orange dietitian Claire Ward said schools had to find a balance and make healthy food appealing.

“Junk-food, when you are a 10-year-old, is more appealing than a salad sandwich,” she said.

“You could do a fruit salad on a stick rather than saying, ‘here’s an apple.”

She said it was about moderation, rather than banning all less healthy food from schools.

“You can’t take everything out, it’s not real.

“You can say you can still have a meat pie on a Friday but not every day, because they still get it at home.

Mrs Ward said education people at a young age was crucial to stop obesity and disease later in life.

“I see so many 40-50 year olds with bad habits who started those bad habits when they were 10,” she said.

Julie Smith, the acting Healthy Weight co-ordinator for the Western NSW Health Local District said children had to be offered healthy choices to encourage them to make the right decisions.

“If you provide them with those healthy choices they are going to make those choices.”

She said health programs in the region needed to be reinforced by having healthy food options in school canteens.