Who can Join the Vic Kids Eat Well Movement?
Who can participate in Vic Kids Eat Well?
Vic Kids Eat Well supports the places school aged kids and their families spend their time. This includes:
Schools
Primary, secondary, combined and specialist schools.
If the school has a food environment or fundraising, they can join Vic Kids Eat Well and start working through the bites.
If a school has previously made healthy changes, they can join Vic Kids Eat Well and celebrate their previous hard work with our advanced standing pack.
If a school does not have a food environment (canteen, lunch orders or have fundraising) they can still join Vic Kids Eat Well and promote the movement using our supporter pack.
Outside School Hours Care
Outside school hours care and holiday programs can participate in Vic Kids Eat Well if they provide food to school aged children and young people aged 5 -18 years.
Sports Clubs
Sports clubs can participate in Vic Kids Eat Well if they provide food and/or drinks or have food/drink-based marketing or fundraising and cater to children and young people aged 5 -18 years.
Community and Council owned facilities
Community and council owned facilities can participate in Vic Kids Eat Well if they provide food and/or drinks or have food/drink-based marketing or fundraising and cater to children and young people aged 5 -18 years.
Sport and Recreation facilities
Vic Kids Eat Well can support sport and recreation facilities as they work towards the Healthy Choices Guidelines. Sport and recreation facilities can participate in Vic Kids Eat Well if they provide food and/or drinks or have food/drink-based marketing or fundraising and cater to children and young people aged 5 -18 years.
Can early childhood facilities participate?
Early childhood facilities are not eligible to participate in Vic Kids Eat Well. Vic Kids Eat Well supports the places school aged kids and their families spend their time. If you are an early childhood facility, you are eligible to participate in Healthy Places Healthy Futures.
Can my organisation still participate if we don’t have a canteen?
If you do not have a canteen, you are still eligible to participate in Vic Kids Eat Well if you provide food and/or drinks or have food/drink-based marketing or fundraising.
If your organisation is not eligible to participate in Vic Kids Eat Well, you can request our supporter pack to show your wider community that you support the Vic Kids Eat Well movement.
What if I have already completed all the bites?
If you have already achieved all the Vic Kids Eat Well bites, you may be eligible for Advanced Standing! All you need to do is register and complete the food and drink survey. Once completed, you will be sent the Advanced Standing pack which includes a poster, social media tiles and suggested newsletter content which can be used to celebrate your commitment to healthy eating.
What’s the deal with ‘bites’?
What is a ‘bite’?
Vic Kids Eat Well provides organisations with clear and achievable steps to making healthy food and drink options available for kids. We call these steps ‘small bites’ and ‘big bites’. Click here to view the relevant bites for your organisation.
How do I choose which bite to focus on? Should I complete the bites in a particular order?
Once you have registered with Vic Kids Eat Well, you will complete a food and drink survey that will identify key areas for improvement. You will then be able to choose which bites your organisation wishes to work towards.
Do the bites vary for each organisation type?
Is there a time limit for completing each bite?
There are no time limits on completing the Vic Kids Eat Well bites.
What rewards are available after we complete a bite?
Please see the rewards store.
How does this Fit with Healthy Places Healthy Futures and the Healthy Eating Advisory Service?
How does Vic Kids Eat Well fit in with our work on Healthy Places Healthy Futures?
Vic Kids Eat Well breaks down the Healthy Places Healthy Futures Food, Nutrition and Oral Health Health and Wellbeing Priority into smaller bite-sized changes. The Vic Kids Eat Well bites align to the Healthy Places Healthy Futures Food, Nutrition and Oral Health Health and Wellbeing Priority so that eligible organisations know they are working towards Victorian Government recognition, as well as Vic Kids Eat Well incentives.
If your organisation has received recognition for the Healthy Places Healthy Futures Food, Nutrition and Oral Health Health and Wellbeing Priority, you are still able to support the Vic Kids Eat Well movement. All you need to do is register with Vic Kids Eat Well and complete the food and drink survey to apply for Advanced Standing.
If a school completes all bites, will they qualify for automatic recognition in Healthy Places Healthy Futures?
Vic Kids Eat Well does not provide automatic recognition for the Healthy Places Healthy Futures Food, Nutrition and Oral Health Health and Wellbeing Priority as there are additional changes that need to be made across the organisation, such as specific policy requirements. The Vic Kids Eat Well bites align to the Healthy Places Healthy Futures Food, Nutrition and Oral Health Health and Wellbeing Priority and provide smaller and more achievable steps to help keep the momentum going.
How does Vic Kids Eat Well fit in with our work with the Healthy Eating Advisory Service (HEAS)?
Vic Kids Eat Well is delivered by Cancer Council Victoria in partnership with the Healthy Eating Advisory Service. The Vic Kids Eat Well bites align to healthy eating policies and guidelines including the Healthy Choices Guidelines, Department of Education and Training’s Canteens, Healthy Eating and Other Food Services and the healthy eating requirements of the National Quality Standard, Quality Area 2 - Children’s Health and Safety. If your organisation has previously worked with the Healthy Eating Advisory Service, you can still join the Vic Kids Eat Well movement. Your organisation may still have healthy food and drink changes that can be made, or you may even be eligible for Advanced Standing!
Why Should I join the Vic Kids Eat Well Movement?
Why should I join Vic Kids Eat Well?
Unsure whether Vic Kids Eat Well is something you’d like to get involved with? Check out this blog post which breaks down the five reasons your organisation should join the movement!
What about our canteen profits?
Healthy canteens CAN be profitable canteens! It’s often thought that introducing healthier items will affect your canteen’s bottom line. We are here to tell you this is not the case! With a bit of creative marketing and savvy shopping, incorporating healthy food and drink options into your canteen can make financial sense. Check out our ‘Maintaining a Healthy and Profitable Canteen’ resource on the resources page.