Healthy Canteen Programs

Philosophy

Many families appreciate the opportunity to have a day off packing school lunches, and children enjoy the novelty of getting a lunch order delivered to their classroom.

A school canteen relies on parent involvement, and this in turn depends on parents believing in the value of the program. Years ago, Warburton Primary used to run a typical canteen and tuck shop - heating pies and pasties to send to the classrooms and selling treats across the counter during break. This eventually faltered with a lack of active support from parents, who questioned its value.

At Warburton Primary, we now take the opportunity to reinforce the healthy lifestyle messages we teach in the classroom by providing healthy meals from the canteen. There are no lollies sold, and students are able to discover the enjoyment offered by a range of healthy foods.

Our canteen also promotes a more socially healthy attitude to buying food. We have moved away from the 'tuck shop' set up where children competitively flex their individual spending power and outspend one another buying treats.

The healthy canteen programs also links with the school's Garden project: over time we aim to source many of our canteen ingredients from our own school vegetable gardens, providing extra satisfaction to the students as they enjoy the fruits of their own labours.