We are excited to announce the launch of the Vic Kids Eat Well school breakfast club bites. This school breakfast club bites stakeholder toolkit is designed to support Health Promoters to engage with their local schools by providing background information and example communications.
Background
Vic Kids Eat Well is an exciting state-wide movement focused on boosting nutritious food and drink options in the places kids spend their time, including schools, outside school hours care, sports clubs, sport and recreation facilities, community and council operated facilities and more.
Vic Kids Eat Well is supported by the Victorian Government and delivered by Cancer Council Victoria, in partnership with the National Nutrition Foundation.
The new Vic Kids Eat Well school breakfast club bites are now available for all Victorian schools. These bites were created in response to community feedback that Victorian schools would like support offering nutritious options in their breakfast clubs. The school breakfast club bites provide schools with practical guidance, simple actions and tailored resources to help boost delicious and healthy breakfast options for students.
Who can participate in the Vic Kids Eat Well school breakfast club bite?
All Victorian schools can participate in Vic Kids Eat Well and the breakfast club bites including government, independent, Catholic, primary, secondary, combined and specialist.
Schools with and without an existing breakfast club program can get involved. Whether your school already runs a breakfast club or is looking to start one, Vic Kids Eat Well provides support and resources to make it easier to offer tasty and nutritious breakfasts to students.
School breakfast clubs are a welcoming place students can attend to receive nutritious food to start their busy day of learning and playing with friends. Whether kids sit down and share a meal or grab a snack on the way to class, school hosted breakfast clubs are an important part of the community.
Please note that if you are working with an outside school hours care service that provides breakfast to students, please progress towards the ‘Make breakfast a healthy start to the day’ small bite (action) as the breakfast club bites are only available to Victorian schools.
How can schools make changes at their breakfast club?
| Boost Breakfast |
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| Fuel up with wholegrains |
Offer at least one wholegrain /wholemeal bread or cereal option.
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| Fuel the fun with low sugar cereals |
Offer cereals and/or grains low in added sugars. Do not offer sugary cereals.
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| Boost breakfast for strong bones |
Offer at least one option of unflavoured milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives*.
*Alternatives must be calcium fortified. |
| Eat for a brighter start |
| Provide healthier drinks |
Offer water, unflavoured milk and/or milk alternatives*, and/or 100% fruit juice. Sugary drinks should never be provided.*Alternatives must be calcium fortified.
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| Keep occasional food occasional |
Remove pastries, croissants, cakes, muffins, muesli bars, and slices from your regular breakfast offering.
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| Colour breakfast with fruit and vegetables |
| Colour breakfast with fruit |
Offer at least one fresh, tinned or frozen fruit option.
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| Colour breakfast with vegetables |
Offer at least one fresh, cooked, tinned or frozen vegetable/legume option, when possible.
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Communication Tools
Key Messages
- A great education starts with kids having the energy and focus to learn at school. Providing delicious and healthy food and drink options at a school breakfast club supports kids to learn, play and be active at school.
- The Vic Kids Eat Well breakfast club bites (actions) encourage things like healthy hydration, fueling with wholegrains and colouring breakfast with fruit and veggies.
- Your school will receive on-the-ground support from a local health promotion professional, along with resources and rewards to celebrate the wins.
- Join the Vic Kids Eat Well movement and be part of an initiative that supports school breakfast clubs to boost healthy and delicious food for the kids in their care.
How can I spread the word?
- Show your support for the Vic Kids Eat Well school breakfast club bites by spreading the word among Victorian schools.
- Follow us on social media and like and share Vic Kids Eat Well posts.
- Promote Vic Kids Eat Well school breakfast club bites content on your social media channels by using the tiles and sample posts provided below.
- Remember to tag us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn using: @VicKidsEatWell
- Email your network with our sample newsletter copy.
Communication materials
Newsletter article/website content
A great education starts with kids having the energy and focus to learn at school. Providing delicious and healthy food and drink options at a school breakfast club supports kids to learn, play and be active.
We’re proud to get behind the new Vic Kids Eat Well school breakfast club bites (actions) which focus on boosting tasty and nutritious food and drink options for kids at the start of their day.
The Vic Kids Eat Well breakfast club bites encourage things like healthy hydration, fueling with wholegrains and colouring breakfast with fruit and veggies.
We would like to support you as you progress through the breakfast club bites. <insert your availability for a meeting or phone conversation to discuss next steps>
To sign up to Vic Kids Eat Well for free or to learn more about the movement, head to: www.vickidseatwell.health.vic.gov.au/get-involved/schools.html
Social media
The following sample social media posts and tiles can be used to promote Vic Kids Eat Well among your school networks. Please follow us, tag us and link to us!
Please remember to tag us on Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn using: @VicKidsEatWell
Social media handles to tag:
• Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/VicKidsEatWell
• X/Twitter – https://x.com/vickidseatwell
• Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/vickidseatwell
• LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/vickidseatwell
Tiles for Facebook, X/ Twitter and LinkedIn
Click on the images below to download for your social platforms
Tiles for Instagram
Sample Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn posts for community health organisations:
Sample 1
📣 News alert: @VicKidsEatWell is now supporting school breakfast clubs!
We can help your breakfast club to:
💧 Encourage healthy hydration
🥪 Fuel with wholegrains
🍎 Colour breakfast with fruit and veggies
Learn how your school can join for free here: www.vickidseatwell.health.vic.gov.au/get-involved/schools.html
@Vic Kids Eat Well is an exciting Victorian movement that’s boosting healthy and delicious food and drink options so kids can learn, play and be active.
As part of the program, we <or insert your organisation’s name> provide local schools with on-the-ground health promotion support.
Sample 2
School breakfast clubs help students to start their day with a tasty and nutritious meal. 🍎
The new @VicKidsEatWell breakfast club bites (actions) provide simple steps and swaps so the food offered to kids is tasty and nutritious.
Plus, organisations get local on-the-ground health promotion support from us!
Give kids the healthy start they deserve and learn how your school can join for free today: www.vickidseatwell.health.vic.gov.au/get-involved/schools.html
Sample 3
A great education starts with kids having the energy and focus to learn at school. Here’s how you can boost delicious and healthy food and drink options at your school’s breakfast club to give kids a nutritious breakfast before a fun day of learning and playing.
💧 Provide milk and/or milk alternatives
🥪 Offer wholegrain options
🍓 Include fresh, seasonal, canned or frozen fruit
Join the movement and sign up to @VicKidsEatWell for free here: www.vickidseatwell.health.vic.gov.au/get-involved/schools.html
Need more info?
As a valued Vic Kids Eat Well Health Promoter, we thank you for supporting the Vic Kids Eat Well School breakfast club bite launch!
If you have any further questions, please contact vickidseatwell@cancervic.org.au
Vic Kids Eat Well is supported by the Victorian Government and delivered by Cancer Council Victoria, in partnership with the National Nutrition Foundation.