Peter Krenz Leisure Centre, located in Bendigo’s Eaglehawk and managed by YMCA Victoria on behalf of the City of Greater Bendigo, is a vibrant sports and recreation facility offering kids swimming lessons, school holiday activities, court access and more. Thanks to its ongoing involvement in Vic Kids Eat Well, the Centre has been putting nutritious food and drink options – that are aligned to the Healthy Choices guidelines – front and centre for the families who walk through its doors each week.
The Centre transformed its food offering in 2023; shifting to nutritious, onsite-prepared options instead of sugary snacks and deep-fried foods. Senior Centre Coordinator Tamara Norden championed the Vic Kids Eat Well changes, backed by passionate staff. They were assisted by the initiative’s simple steps, resources and local health promotion support. The results were impressive; including in a Vic Kids Eat Well award in the community, sports & recreation category at the time.
Today, this grassroots initiative showcases how small changes can create lasting community impact – despite limited resources. Peter Krenz Leisure Centre is also connected to Rebecca Dalrymple from City of Greater Bendigo for ongoing local health promotion support.
Aligning to health and wellbeing
Mrs Norden said the decision to join Vic Kids Eat Well was about aligning their food options with the Centre's core purpose.
“We’ve always had a strong focus on health and wellbeing – it’s what we do. But our food offering hadn’t quite caught up with that. We wanted the food and drinks served to reflect the health and wellbeing values we promote throughout the Centre,” Mrs Norden said.
She also saw Vic Kids Eat Well as a way to strengthen the Centre’s support for families.
“We’ve always prided ourselves on being a space where kids can get active. We wanted the food offered to be nutritious to fuels kids’ bodies.
“Now, families know they can count on us for healthy, satisfying meals and snacks,” Mrs Norden said.
Wraps and rolls became daily staples, filled with a lean protein, wholegrains and colourful vegetables.
Prior to the food transformation, the Centre’s offering included a long counter filled with lollies, chips, soft drinks and deep-fried snacks.
Implementation
The new approach aligned with the Healthy Choices guidelines.
Several years since the improvements were made, Peter Krenz Leisure Centre still proudly offers:
- Homemade chicken and salad wraps with air-fried chicken breast
- Roast veggie frittatas, salad rolls and crunchy veggie sticks
- Fresh homemade icy poles made from frozen fruit and sugar-free yoghurt
- Wholemeal berry and banana muffins with grated carrot, rated 'green' via FoodChecker
- Fresh fruit and yoghurt cups and free fruit for kids
“The kids go straight for the homemade 100% fruit juice, fresh fruit and yoghurt icy poles after swimming – they’re refreshing, filling and naturally flavoured. The wholegrain wraps are also a hit – soft, tasty and packed with colourful veggies,” Mrs Norden said.
Water also became the main drink offered.
Team collaboration
Success at Peter Krenz Leisure Centre relies on a whole-of-team approach with front desk staff and duty managers also serving food and drink options. Everyone helps prep food, while Tamara – also the food safety supervisor – often jumps in to cook too. All staff are trained in food handling to ensure safe operations.
“If we’re running low on something, it’s all hands on deck – reception staff pitch in too, whether it’s slicing veggies or prepping icy poles for the afternoon rush,” Mrs Norden said.
Community response and impact
While there was some hesitation early on, families quickly embraced the Vic Kids Eat Well improvements.
With support from Vic Kids Eat Well, the Centre’s delicious and healthy food offerings became very popular. Tamara says families are grateful for the improved options – and the transparency around ingredients.
“When we first introduced the icy poles, we wanted something fun and healthy – no added sugar or artificial colours, just things like frozen raspberries, yoghurt and 100% fruit juice. Now they sell out almost every week,” Mrs Norden said.
Managing changes
Recently, the Centre increased kitchen support hours from 4 to 7 per week, helping meet demand. Tamara also hopes for a community garden to supply fresh herbs and veggies in future.
“For sustainability and efficiency, ingredients nearing expiry are repurposed, for example the 100% fruit juice becomes icy poles. Our food is often prepared in bulk and frozen. We've also got apple orchards locally. So local suppliers, like Harcourt Apple Juice, are used where possible,” Mrs Norden said.
Peter Krenz Leisure Centre’s key takeaways:
- Teamwork drives change: With shared commitment and support from Vic Kids Eat Well, meaningful changes are possible – even with limited Centre resources
- Small swaps matter: Fresh, onsite-prepared foods can improve taste while still being popular with kids and families
- Fresh, tasty and healthy food belongs in active spaces: Families value nutritious options where kids learn to swim and play sport
"We made the changes with Vic Kids Eat Well years ago, and there’s no going backwards. Now it’s all about how we keep making our food and drink offering better," Mrs Norden said.