Why is Healthy Food in Schools Important?

For many students who use the canteen regularly, the food purchased there makes a significant contribution to their total food intake and nutrition. For those students who do not use the school canteen or food service regularly, the canteen still plays an important educational and modelling role for healthy eating habits.

In addition to the provision of nutritious food, the canteen has an important role within the broader school environment in complementing the knowledge, skills and behaviours about healthy eating and lifestyles that are taught in the classroom. The food provided within the school environment has a considerable influence on the development of children’s long-term eating habits, food preferences and attitudes towards food.

The school canteen can play an important role in promoting healthy foods and creating a school culture of healthy eating. This can extend beyond the school environment and influence food choices within the family and community and enhance the social and multicultural aspects of food and eating.

Some nutritional issues that affect children include:

• growth
• bone health and development
• dental health
• weight management (overweight and obesity)
• eating disorders and body image
• mood, concentration and learning
• development of food preferences, tastes, eating habits and skills
• promotion of heath and prevention of lifestyle disease
• nutritional adequacy.