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Why should sport, recreation
and entertainment venues offer healthy foods and drinks?
Your venue can play an important role in promoting healthy messages and is
in a position to encourage the community to lead an active lifestyle and
support this with healthy eating.
Obesity in now recognised as a world wide epidemic. In Western Australia,
the number of children who are overweight or obese has tripled over the past
two decades1. Almost one quarter of boys and one third of girls aged between
7 - 15 years old are overweight or obese1, placing them at higher risk of a
range of diseases including type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and some
cancers2.
Overweight and obesity, as well as the related chronic diseases, are largely
preventable3. Children and adolescents should eat a wide range of healthy
and nutritious foods to give them the energy to grow, learn and play. The
foods and drinks on offer at your venue can send clear messages to the
community about what is healthy and what options are suitable. Your venue
can help to teach children and adolescents how to choose healthy food and
drinks.
It’s easy to offer healthy food and drinks. Follow the step by step guide
and find out how healthy your club is. Learn how to use the easy to follow
Green, Amber and Red traffic light signals, make some positive changes to
offer a healthy menu and make the healthy food and drinks sell well.
I’m not sure if a product is
Green, Amber or Red. How do I find out?
If you would like to use a product and are not sure if it is Green, Amber or
Red check the table in Step 1. If you are still not sure, contact the Fuel
to Go Team at the WA School Canteen Association Inc. on 08 9264 5096 or
email
fueltogo@det.wa.edu.au
download the Product Assessment Form and post, fax or email the completed
form to the Fuel to Go Team at the WA School Canteen Association Inc. The
postal address, fax and email details are on the form.
What is the Star ChoiceTM
Registration Program and how are products registered?
The Star ChoiceTM
Registration Program uses the FOCiS nutritional criteria to assess products
suitable for registration. The nutrient criteria has been specifically set
to meet the nutritional requirements of children and adolescents to enable
schools and sport clubs to select products suitable for children and
adolescents’ growth and development. The nutrient criteria for foods and
drinks differ depending on the type food or drink. The criteria set levels
for assessment of their energy, total fat, saturated fat, salt (sodium),
sugar, fibre and may specify a maximum size. Some of the food and drink
categories also include a requirement for a specific mineral. An example,
Plain and Flavoured Yoghurts have an energy (kilojoules) criteria, a total
fat criteria, a minimum calcium criteria, and a maximum single portion size.
The criteria also states that there is to be no added confectionery.
The Star ChoiceTM
Buyer’s Guide is a guide to help people make healthier food
choices quickly and easily. It also encourages food manufacturers and food
outlets to develop or modify products and meals to meet the nutrition
standards.
What if I want to use a product that is not listed
in the Star ChoiceTM
Buyer’s Guide?
The Buyer’s Guide is a guide only, and therefore you are not limited to
using the products listed in the guide. If you would like to use a different
product and are not sure if it is Green, Amber or Red download the Product
Assessment Form from Step 2 and post, fax or email the completed form to the
Fuel to Go Team at the WA School Canteen Association Inc. Postal address,
fax and email details are on the form.
A registered product will remain listed in the Buyer’s Guide while it meets
the nutrient criteria, so you can be sure it is a healthier choice.
What about recipes that we make at our club or
venue?
There is a table in Step 4 that provides you with basic ingredients and a
healthier alternative you could replace it with. For example, instead of
regular cheese, use reduced fat cheese, or reduce the suggested amount of
cheese.
If you have a recipe that you would like to use at your venue, the Fuel to
Go Team at the WA School Canteen Association Inc. can assess the recipe for
you against standard nutrient criteria to see if it is a suitable option.
Download the Recipe Assessment Form in Step 2 and post, fax or email the
completed form to us. The postal address, fax and email details are on the
form.
If the recipe does not meet the criteria, then we will give you suggestions
on how to improve the recipe to do so. For example – add more vegetables;
change the preparation method to use less oil or a non stick pan; increase
the number of serves the recipe yields so it reduces the serve size.
Does the FOCiS criteria assess additives in foods?
No, the FOCiS criteria does not set levels for additives as Food Standards
Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is the government body that regulate
everything that can and cannot be added to food. Additives have a number of
functions in food such as preservatives, colours and emulsifiers without
which some foods would not have sufficient shelf life, or with the example
of mayonnaise the oil would separate.
If an additive were found to be harmful, food manufacturers would be
obligated to remove it from their products by law.
We recommend that the easiest was to limit additives is to use fresh
produce.
Further questions
If you have any questions about the Fuel to Go Guide, the Fuel to Go Team at
the WA School Canteen Association Inc. are on hand to assist every step of
the way. If your club or venue needs any help with implementing healthier
choices you are encouraged to contact the Fuel to Go Team on 08 9264 5096 or
email
fueltogo@det.wa.edu.au
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References:
1. Hands, B., Parker, H., Glasson, C., Brinkman, S. & Read, H. Physical
Activity and Nutrition Levels in
Western Australian Children and
Adolescents: Report, 2004. Perth, Western Australia: Western Australian
Government.
2. AIHW: A rising epidemic: obesity in Australian Children
and Adolescents, Risk Factor Data Briefing
Number 2, October 2004. Canberra: AIHW.
2. WHO: Fact sheet number 311. Obesity and overweight,
September 2006.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/index.html
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