Weeroona College Bendigo is a secondary school with nearly 800 students. Canteen manager Rebekah Hughes, with support from Sebastian Goscha, Health Promotion Officer at Bendigo Community Health Services, has led a transformation of the school’s canteen through the Vic Kids Eat Well movement.
Sebastian first connected with Rebekah through the Cooking For Change program, funded in partnership with Bendigo Foodshare. After sessions at the school, he supported Rebekah to adopt the free Vic Kids Eat Well program to improve their canteen offering for students. As a result, Weeroona College Bendigo successfully completed 8 “bites” (actions) under the initiative.
“Rebekah previously ran her own food business, so she brings a lot of knowledge and passion to the school canteen which sells over 1000 lunches per week. It was really just about giving her the right tools and information,” said Mr Goscha.
What they changed through Vic Kids Eat Well’s “bites” (actions)
1. “Boost veggies and salad”
The canteen now runs a seasonal menu, their popular homemade beef burgers are made with school garden-grown carrot and zucchini, topped with school-pickled cucumbers with salad on a wholemeal bun.
2. “Offer healthier pies and pastries”
Rebekah introduced homemade pies filled with carrot, zucchini, pumpkin, kale, and sweet potato, topped with mashed potato. Other additions included tuna and corn potato fritters and grated-veggie Japanese pancakes. The canteen swapped to multigrain and sourdough breads, sourced meat from a local butcher and now makes most condiments, including tomato sauce and dressings, from scratch. Hot meals like dahl and rice, lasagna, chicken burgers, burritos and soups are all made in-house with an emphasis on vegetables and flavour.
3. “Make an impact with marketing”
The canteen replaced the existing advertising on their freezer with hand-made signs promoting the new, delicious and healthy menu items available to students.
4. & 5. “Ditch soft drinks” and “Swap sugary drinks for healthier options”
Water was promoted as the drink of choice. The drink range was further improved with lower-sugar options added for hot chocolate and small size flavoured milks. Fruit flavoured drinks were replaced with 100% orange and apple juice. Coconut water and sparkling water with 100% fruit juice were also added.
6. Kick the confectionery
Rebekah now incorporates fruit into snacks made from scratch, such as fruit salad and 100% fruit-juice jelly. New options like frozen yogurt cups, homemade fruit smoothies and year-round frozen fruit pieces are now available.
7. Rethink cakes and muffins
The canteen swapped out traditional sweets for a “chocolate” cake made with cocoa, raw beetroot, carrot, zucchini and greens powder rated green in FoodChecker, developed by National Nutrition Foundation. Other additions include 100% fruit juice jelly cups and Greek yogurt served with fresh fruit.
8. Switch to healthier snacks
New snacks include rice wheels, homemade popcorn and date balls. Students can also choose a 50c scoop of a mix including sunflower seeds, sultanas, roasted pumpkin seeds, dried shiitake mushrooms and edamame – cheaper and healthier than the $2 packets of chips.
More highlights
The canteen has also been creative in developing new items.
Their Karen Curry Paste – made by Cooking For Change students – is used to prepare aromatic curries. The paste, filled with fresh veg and 100% fruit juice, and the curries are sold to students and staff.
The results
“Limiting processed foods and making homemade versions where possible has been very rewarding.
“Harvesting our garden and tailoring the menu to what’s in season is a sustainable way to run the school’s canteen. It’s important for students’ overall mental and physical wellbeing to reduce ultra processed foods and harmful additives,” Ms Hughes said.
Vic Kids Eat Well has supported Weeroona College Bendigo with rewards including cooking equipment and signage to help promote the delicious new food options.
How students have reacted
“Students are more adventurous with food when they can try new flavours through free samples. At our school, they're eating more fruit and vegetables than ever before. Since joining Vic Kids Eat Well, canteen sales have also increased dramatically,” Ms Hughes said.
Inspiring others
“Don’t be afraid to offer students something new – you’ll be surprised by what they’ll try for free.
“Even growing food in little pots can spark engagement. Introduce canteen changes gradually so students feel empowered and don’t feel like options are being taken away,” Ms Hughes said.
The future
Rebekah plans to keep planting, growing and cooking with passion.
“Our involvement in Vic Kids Eat Well has encouraged us to expand our fresh, homemade cooking journey,” Ms Hughes said.
Mr Goscha said: “It’s been a pleasure working with Rebekah through Vic Kids Eat Well. The impact has been enormous – it shows that school canteen lunches can be filled with nourishing fruit and veggies and be delicious.”