School Environment - Introduction

Strategies within the school environment provide a great opportunity for further promoting vegetables and fruit, and for �practicing what we preach� in the classroom. The Healthy Eating Habits at School manual provides a range of school practices which promote healthy eating habits. Edible gardens are identified as one of the projects most enjoyed strategies, and one which all schools will sustain. The kit has guidelines for getting started, links to useful websites and organisations, and remedies for common hurdles. The school canteen is an obvious site where the menu can reflect the goals of the project, and where promotions can allow children to taste novel vegetable and fruit items and possible menu items can be trialled. The Canteen Manual can be worked through by the Canteen Manager or with the Tooty Fruity Vegie project person and has ideas for menus and for marketing and promotion. Apart from the canteen, fundraising is an important aspect of school finances, and Tooty Fruity Vegie has some ideas where dollars can be raised while continuing to promote vegetables and fruit. Another financial strategy in the school environment is working with local retailers to support the project and gain business.

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