6 minute read
Catering
A Great Lunch Can Be A Learning Experience
Alongside other core values, Schools and education providers are adding the importance of healthy food choices to their ethos.
Pioneering 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 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.
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.
fresH madE fivE steP guidE hoW to ChoosE an ExternaL SchooL fooD proVider
Ordering school lunches is fast becoming the new normal for many Kiwi families. A growing number of kids eat food that’s freshly made by school canteens or external food suppliers. In turn, many schools are now using a lunch order programme, where meals are provided by local food suppliers, such as bakeries and cafés. If your school is thinking about going down that route, here are some ideas to help you fi nd a great provider.
1. Have a clear idea of what your school is looking for
• Does your school have a food and drink policy? • How many students are you expecting to cater for? • What are your students’ budget and spending patterns? • What are the ethnicities of your students? • How many suppliers will you need? For example, do you need one supplier for freshly made foods and another for packaged foods and drinks? • Do you have an online ordering system?
If not, would you like to introduce one? • Do you need the supplier to deliver at certain times? • Do you have a storage space or facilities to keep food at the right temperature after it arrives? • How will the food be distributed to your students?
2. Where to fi nd potential suppliers
• The Heart Foundation’s Fresh Made supports food suppliers and school canteens to make healthier fresh-made foods. The website has a list of registered companies who supply healthier food choices –
heartfoundation.org.nz
• Personal recommendations are an ideal starting point for sourcing any new suppliers.
Do other schools in your community use an external provider? • Food outlets in your local area – your local café or bakery may be able to deliver into your school • Trade shows and magazines • Your local Heart Foundation Nutrition Advisor.
Visit heartfoundation.org.nz/about-us/
contact-us
3. How to choose the right supplier
• Always ask questions about their service and ask for examples of their products • Ask for testimonials and feedback from existing customers. Good suppliers should be happy to provide these • Visit the supplier to fi nd out more about their processes and how they source, make, pack and deliver their products. Wherever possible, meet potential suppliers face-toface and see how their business operates • Do they have a good hygiene rating? • What are your supplier’s policies for food safety management? • Are the fresh food items prepared daily? • Remember, price is a key consideration but shouldn’t be the only reason for choosing a supplier. Quality can be compromised by price • Consistent product quality is critical to ensuring the future success of your service • Do they place food items in coolers for food delivery? • Do they have appropriate food storage on site such as fridges and freezers? • Do they require a minimum order quantity?
4. Checklist for a healthy menu
• Most food choices are made from fresh wholesome ingredients and come from the four food groups: vegetables and fruit, milk and milk products, breads and cereals, and lean meat, fi sh, poultry, seafood, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds. • The food supplied should be in line with the
Ministry of Health’s Healthy Food and Drink
Guidance for Schools. The Heart Foundation can assist on menu and recipe assessment and provide advice on this. • Healthier foods are competitively priced against the less healthy foods • These items should not be provided: – confectionary – deep-fried foods – full sugar and artifi cially sweetened energy drinks – full sugar drinks – foods and drinks containing caff eine >56mg/serve • Vegetarian options are available • Where possible, healthy foods should be off ered and presented in ways that encourage students to choose and consume them • The menu is able to accommodate diff erent ethnicities.
5. How to create a service agreements with your supplier
When you fi nd a supplier you like, it’s important to create a service agreement. For example, make sure your food and drink policy is included, delivery times and frequency, level of order fulfi lment or your policy on product substitution. With these agreements in place, your new supplier will know exactly what’s expected. Once you have settled on the suppliers you’d like to work with, negotiate terms and conditions and draw up contracts.