ORANGE High School canteen supervisor Louise Brown is looking for healthy food solutions.
Schools from Orange and the local region have joined forces to form the School Canteen Network.
The network aims to help schools offer more nutritious meals in keeping with the government’s Healthy Kids School Canteen (HKSC) initiative.
While the HKSC scheme has been in place for three years, local schools have only just formed the networking association, which the Community Health Centre and dietician Alicia Blowes administer.
The network allows canteens to share recipes, solve product supply issues and operate their kitchens more efficiently.
According to Orange High School’s canteen supervisor Louise Brown, the network is a great way for canteen workers to meet and exchange ideas.
“We also talk about better ways to source local produce because we all want to buy locally,” said Mrs Brown.
“Gone are the days of pies and hot dogs.”
In keeping with the HKSC initiative, food and drinks have been divided into three colour gradings.
Goods which are certified red, such as lollies and chocolate, cannot be sold. Amber goods, such as hamburgers, can be sold occasionally and green products, such as fruit, can be sold anytime.
Despite this, the school still sells packets of chips and hot food including pies and sausage rolls
However, they are modified to ensure they have less salt, sugar and fat content than regular food.
Orange High School has a daily menu of nutritious dishes which cost as little as $2.50 a serve.
“In some cases the meals we serve are the best meals a lot of these kids will ever get,” said Mrs Brown.
The canteen also consciously promotes water rather than fruit juice or flavoured milk to drink.
The government requires each school canteen operate as a profit-making entity, with Orange High School last year notching had an annual turnover of $250,000.
About $50,000 was used to refurbish the canteen and a further $30,000 was donated back to the school.
Money was also allocated to fund two full-time kitchen positions.
The next meeting of the School Canteen Network will be on May 20 at 4pm at the Hotel Canobolas function room.