Using FoodChecker for long day care
FoodChecker is the free way to assess your long day care menu online and get instant feedback!
Overview
The Victorian Government recommends that Victorian long day care services use the Healthy Eating Advisory Service’s FoodChecker to review their menus.
Having a menu assessment will help your early childhood education and care service towards achieving:
- Quality Area 2.1.3 (Healthy Lifestyle) of the National Quality Standard
- Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations
- the Healthy Eating and Oral Health Benchmarks of the Achievement Program*
- Smiles 4 Miles award.*
You can assess one day or one week to see if it meets the Victorian Menu planning guidelines for long day care.
When you assess your menu on FoodChecker you will receive a report containing your results, plus recommendations for healthy changes.
Once you have made changes to your centre menu, you can reassess it on FoodChecker to see if it meets the guidelines.
You can also use FoodChecker to plan future menus that meet the Victorian Menu planning guidelines for long day care. PLUS you can download a copy of your menu to display, and print a shopping list with all of the ingredients you’ll need for the week.
Before you begin
Review our getting started guide for tips on creating a healthier food and drink environment in your service. You can also use the menu planning checklist to quick self-assess your menu.
What information will you need to assess your menu?
-
- your menu for one day or one week
- every recipe featured on the menu that you’re going to assess
- a quantity for each ingredient (e.g. grams, kilograms, litres)
- the number of children you are cooking for (over 12 months of age)
Before you begin your menu assessment, use the Pre-FoodChecker Checklist to ensure you have collected all the information you will need to complete your assessment
*Victorian long day care services that are registered with the Achievement Program and/or Smiles 4 Miles must provide a FoodChecker menu assessment report which confirms that the menu meets these Victorian guidelines. Using feedAustralia will not provide this requirement. To learn more read the Victorian Government position statement.
For more information please phone 1300 22 52 88 or email heas@nutritionaustralia.org.au
Except where otherwise indicated, the images in this document show models and illustrative settings only, and do not necessarily depict actual services, facilities or recipients of services. This document may contain images of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In this document, ‘Aboriginal’ refers to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. ‘Indigenous’ or ‘Koori/Koorie’ is retained when part of the title of a report, program or quotation. Copyright © State of Victoria 2016
Written and reviewed by dietitians and nutritionists at Nutrition Australia, with support from the Victorian Government.
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The Healthy Eating Advisory Service acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we operate. We pay our respects to them, their culture and their Elders past and present.
The Healthy Eating Advisory Service is delivered by experienced nutritionists and dietitians at Nutrition Australia Vic Division, with support from the Victorian Government.
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