CATERING
A Great Lunch Can Be A Learning Experience
that we make when we eat together. Beyond the nutrition, what we eat provides connections to family, community and culture, and forms a bond with our natural environment.
Alongside other core values, Schools and education providers are adding the importance of healthy food choices to their ethos.
P
ioneering a balance between nutritionally beneficial food and food that students would readily eat, Libelle Group’s Eat Smart menu launched their no junk food stance back in 2018. “Eating the correct school lunch is absolutely critical to student health and well-being,” noted Johannes Tietze, founder and CEO of Libelle Group. “The Government initiative Ka Ora, Ka Ako (the name translates to being healthy and well to be in a good place to learn) recognises that regular, nutritious food is vital for children’s physical, mental and educational development.” A healthy and nutritious lunch is vital to learning. So, what makes a great school lunch? Children tend to eat what they know, and sometimes their likes can seem quite limited. Libelle’s role in a child’s learning-to-eat journey is to provide the food they should be eating in
a calm and positive environment with minimal interference. A Libelle lunch box is filled with a variety of nutrient dense, minimally processed whole foods to provide the macro and micronutrients that children and adolescents need to grow and learn. Macro nutrients provide calories for energy and maintain the body’s structure and systems. Micronutrients are the broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals that our brain uses to signal what to do and when to do it. By offering a balanced meal with proteins, carbohydrates (wholegrains and/or starchy vegetables), healthy fats and plenty of vegetables and fruits, Libelle are not only providing these nutrients but role modelling what a great lunch should look like. When provided with the right opportunities, children can be raised to be food literate, taking this knowledge with them throughout their life and into their shopping habits of the future. A great lunch is also the social connections
LIBELLE’S TOP TIPS: • Variety and colour - different coloured vegetables and fruits provide different minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. • Choose natural or minimally processed foods as much as possible. • Snacks DO NOT have to come in a packet! Change your snack narrative and serve real food - fruit, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, celery, green beans, butter beans (roasted), chickpeas, sweetcorn, cheese, pate, crackers, nut butters, seeds and nuts, avocado, granola, yoghurt, berries, dark chocolate, dried fruits, leftover chicken or salmon. A child sees food as food, it is our narrative that ‘teaches’ them that certain foods are for certain times. • Serving size: Commercially prepared or purchased food items, such as café purchased muffins, slices, sandwiches etc are often way too big for the average adult, let alone a small child. When serving a snack from a packet, remove the item from its packaging, halve or quarter it, and serve it alongside a piece of fruit, a couple of sticks of crunchy vegetables and some form of protein and/or healthy fat. H
FEEDING HUNGRY LEARNERS GREAT FOOD Healthier food options for New Zealand’s hungry learners. • • • •
Top quality, freshly made lunches for learners. On-site or delivery service, tailored to suit you. Professionally audited food control plan. Trained, qualified, local staff.
It’s simple: Our professionals feed hungry students, while education professionals feed hungry minds.
Find out more at www.libelle.co.nz restaurantandcafe.co.nz
I 27
