Food, Nutrition and Oral Health in schools
Supporting students to consume a wide variety of nutritious food and drink is important for physical health, mental wellbeing, learning and oral health.
This health and wellbeing priority promotes food literacy and oral health skills, positive experiences and relationships with food, and access to nutritious options for the whole school community.
This priority helps to bring together existing food, nutrition and oral health actions. It complements programs including Vic Kids Eat Well, Healthy Eating Advisory Service, Smile Squad, School Breakfast Clubs program and Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation.
Food, Nutrition and Oral Health Action Table
This action table gives an example of how the Healthy Places Framework can be applied to Food, Nutrition and Oral Health in schools.
Action area | Leadership and Commitment | Teaching & Learning | Physical Environment | Culture | Staff Wellbeing | Families & Community Engagement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Goal | There is strong leadership support and a shared commitment to a whole- school approach to food, nutrition and oral health. | Students build food literacy and oral health skills in a developmentally appropriate way. | School facilities, eating/drinking environments and food provision (if applicable) supports nutrition and oral health. | The school fosters attitudes, behaviours and values that support nutrition and oral health. | Staff have access to resources and support for their own nutrition and oral health. | The school engages, partners and collaborates with families and community organisations to support nutrition and oral health. |
Example Actions | Demonstrate leadership’s commitment to a whole-school approach to food, nutrition and oral health. Consider Environmental Sustainability practices in the school’s approach to food | Use experiential learning strategies to develop students’ knowledge and positive attitudes and behaviours towards food and nutrition. Provide opportunities to develop students’ understanding of the relationship between food and environmental sustainability. | Ensure drinking water (tap water where possible) is always available and actively promoted. Provide safe and inviting spaces and allow sufficient time for students to eat and drink. | Respect and celebrate cultural and religious diversity when implementing food, nutrition and oral health activities. Role model positive behaviour and non-judgmental language related to food, nutrition and body image. | Encourage staff to take meal breaks and provide time and facilities to prepare and store food. Share evidence-based, culturally-appropriate and accessible information to staff to support their own nutrition and oral health. | Provide opportunities for families to be involved in the planning and delivery of food, nutrition and oral health activities. Support families to prioritise nutritious food by providing guidance that reflects different circumstances and levels of access to food. |
Join today to see the full list of suggested actions, examples in practice and links to supporting programs and resources as outlined in the Food, Nutrition and Oral Health Whole-School Action Guide.
The Health and Wellbeing Priorities
The Healthy Places Framework helps schools support all health and wellbeing priorities through a set of action guides. Six health and wellbeing priorities areas each have their own guide, and a flexible action guide is also available for any health area while still following the Framework.
