Healthy Canteen Kit

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'Occasionally' Category (Red Foods)

Checklist for Occasionally foods

Foods and drinks in this category are not consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia and are not suitable for school food services.

Foods and drinks in this category are based on the ‘extra foods’ as defined in the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and include:

  • sugar-sweetened drinks – sports drinks, cordial, fruit-flavoured drink
  • deep-fried foods
  • pastry-based or crumbed hot foods
  • savoury snack foods – crisps, chips, biscuits and other similar products
  • ice-creams, ice confections and dairy desserts, for example chocolate-coated and premium ice-creams, icy-poles
  • cakes, muffins, sweet biscuits, slices, bars, donuts, danishes, croissants, cream, butter, Copha, chocolate spreads.

These foods and drinks are the least suitable as, generally, they:

  • are very low in nutritional value
  • are high in saturated fat and/or added sugar and/or added salt
  • provide excess kilojoules.

Foods and drinks which fit into the Occasionally (red foods) category should be supplied on no more than two occasions per term.

There are many foods and drinks that may fall into either the Occasionally category or the Select Carefully category. Read the labels and assess against the nutrient criteria for an Occasionally food. The Food Guide Tables (PDF - 328Kb) (on pages 16–24 of the Healthy Canteen Kit - Food Planner) provide more information on the types of foods that fall into the Occasionally category.

High sugar content drinks were banned through school food services in 2007. This included energy drinks and flavoured mineral waters with high sugar content.

In response to concerns from parents and schools on the issue of healthy eating, the sale of confectionery through school food services was phased out in 2009.

Confectionery is of minimal nutritional value and high in kilojoules. From 2009, no confectionery is permitted to be supplied through school food services.

For an explanation of what foods are considered to be confectionery refer to the School Confectionery Guidelines

Checklist of Occasionally foods:

  • These foods and drinks should not be on the regular canteen menu.
  • Schools should limit the availability of these foods and drinks to no more than two occasions per term.
  • These foods and drinks should not be regularly available in other areas of the school such as vending machines.

More information

See also:

For more information about types of foods commonly sold in school canteens and where they fit into the food categories view the Food Guide Tables (PDF - 328Kb) from the Healthy Canteen Kit – Food Planner.

To view the food planner as a complete document, see: Download Healthy Canteen Kit