Creating a Healthier Canteen with Fresh Made

Fresh Made is a Heart Foundation service that helps food suppliers, school canteens and early learning services make their food healthier for students.

If you’re a food supplier, school canteen, or early learning service Fresh Made can provide comprehensive resources to help you make healthier choices. Our resources include menu assessment, tips on how to make menu changes and help with recipe development.

Why is this needed?

Over the last few years, many schools and early learning services have started to outsource their lunch programmes where the meals are provided by local food suppliers, such as bakeries, cafés, and takeaways. Ordering school lunches online is fast becoming the new normal for many New Zealand families.

Fresh Made supports food suppliers and school canteens to make these fresh-made foods healthier.

How does it work?

Food suppliers, school canteens or boarding school caterers submit their menus and recipes to the Heart Foundation for assessment.

The recipes are analysed, and feedback and advice are given on any changes that could be made to meet the Fresh Made criteria.

If the changes are made your company becomes a Fresh Made registered company and will be listed on the Heart Foundation website. Once registered you can start marketing your new healthy menu.

Benefits for schools

Consuming healthy foods and drinks every day not only improves students’ overall health but can also improve their concentration and behaviour.

Here are some of the ways Fresh Made can benefit your school or early learning service:

Contribute to the health of children by providing healthier freshly made foods which will improve children’s attendance, behaviour, and performance.

Demonstrate to parents that your school is taking responsibility for children’s education, their health and wellbeing.

Benefits for food suppliers

Fresh Made can help you meet the growing demand for healthier freshly made foods. Receive exposure to schools and early learning services across New Zealand through the Heart Foundation network.

Resources

Fresh Made provides the following resources to assist lunch providers to achieve registration and create healthier foods that meet the Fresh Made guidelines.

Standardised recipes - These recipes are specifically developed to meet Fresh Made Criteria and can be altered and personalised to meet your students’ tastes and preferences.

Sample menus - Get inspired with our seasonal sample menus for schools and early learning services. Blogs – Tips about healthy cooking, planning your menu and healthy ingredient choices.

Reproduced with the permission of the Heart Foundation. H