Our EACH Prevention and Population Health (PPH) team empowers school children and their families to pack lunchboxes with ‘everyday’ foods from the five food groups.
The ‘Everyday Lunchboxes’ sessions are offered to primary schools in Knox and Maroondah throughout the year, as part of the ‘Healthy Eating So Kids Thrive’ program.
The program includes:
- ‘Eat a Rainbow’ incursions, where students are encouraged to explore fruits and vegetables using five senses.
- Excursions to Community Gardens, where students learn about the origins of the food they eat and how to pot their own plants.
- ‘Cooking with Kids’ workshops, where parents are invited to prepare simple, health meals with their children.
Through participating in the program, students gain a greater understanding and acceptance for ‘everyday’ foods, where they come from and how to prepare them. The PPH team is entering into another year of partnering with a suite of local schools to deliver this ever-evolving program, as well as support the schools to adopt policies and practices that create a healthier learning environment.
The program aligns with the Healthy Lunchbox Week initiative, which runs from the 5 – 12 February. It’s an annual campaign led by Nutrition Australia and supported by EACH, which aims to inspire families to create healthy lunchboxes that children will love.
To celebrate the week, there are a series of recipes, tips, resources and more available for download at https://www.healthylunchboxweek.org.au/, as well as a free webinar for parents of primary school aged students on Thursday 9 February.
Learn more about our Prevention and Population Health Team