Food and drink checklist for OSHC

This checklist will help you provide healthy foods and drinks for children that are in line with the Australian Dietary Guidelines [1] and the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating [2].

• Breakfast is planned and documented on the menu.
• Breakfast is based on grain (cereal) foods.
• Examples include bread, breakfast cereal, rice and noodles.
• There is at least one wholemeal or wholegrain choice for each type of grain provided every day. Examples include wholemeal bread, high fibre breakfast cereal.
• Breakfast cereals are low in added sugars. (Less than 15g of sugar per 100g if dried fruit is not an ingredient, or less than 25g per 100g if dried fruit is an ingredient.)
• A choice of milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives (such as soy drink) are provided every day.
• Milk, yoghurt, cheese and alternatives are mostly reduced fat.
• Plain reduced fat milk is available as a drink every day.

• Afternoon tea is planned and documented on the menu. Afternoon tea includes vegetables.
• Afternoon tea includes fruit.
• Dried fruit is not provided every day.
• Afternoon tea includes milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives such as soy drink.
• Milk, yoghurt, cheese and alternatives are mostly reduced fat.
• If grain (cereal) foods are provided, they are mostly wholemeal or wholegrain. Examples include: wholemeal bread, wholemeal flour, wholegrain crackers
• Baked items are not provided everyday.
• Baked items do not contain large amounts of fat and sugar.

• Water is freely available throughout the session.
• Flavoured milk is not included every day.
• Sweet drinks are not provided. Examples include: soft drinks, fruit drinks, cordial, sports drinks, sports waters, flavoured waters, flavoured mineral waters, iced teas and energy drinks.
• Fruit juice is not offered as a drink.

• Polyunsaturated and/or monounsaturated oils and spreads are used in cooking and baking. Examples include: sunflower, safflower, canola, olive, peanut, sunflower, soybean and sesame oil.
• Butter, cream, sour cream, coconut cream, copha, palm oil, ghee and lard are not used in cooking or on the menu.

Foods which are high in saturated fat, added salt and/or sugar or a combination of these, with little nutritional value are not provided.

Examples of these foods include:

• sweet drinks
• chocolate, confectionery, jelly
• deep fried foods, pastry based foods (pies, sausage rolls and pasties)
• most fast food and takeaway foods
• some processed meats (e.g. sausages, frankfurts/hot dogs, salami, Strasburg, Devon, some commercial chicken nuggets and fish fingers)
• high fat/salt savoury snack foods (e.g. crisps, chips, biscuits)
• ice cream and ice confections
• high sugar/fat cakes, muffins, sweet pastries, slices, biscuits and bars

[1] Australian Dietary Guidelines, National Health and Medical Research Council, 2013, www.eatforhealth.gov.au

[2] Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, National Health and Medical Research Council, 2013, www.eatforhealth.gov.au