Centre at the forefront of healthy eating drive

BENDIGO sports clubs and facilities are leading the state in helping children to make more nutritious food choices, according to the organisation behind the Vic Kids Eat Well program.

Cancer Council Victoria, which runs the State Government-supported scheme in conjunction with the National Nutrition Foundation, last week reported that 25 local clubs and facilities are now involved.

A leader in the local push is the Peter Krenz Leisure Centre in Eaglehawk, which has been putting nutritious food and drink options front and centre for more than two years.

Cancer Council Victoria’s head of healthy spaces, Dimity Gannon, commended Bendigo venues for their involvement.

“Bendigo sports clubs and sports and recreation facilities, as a group, are leading the state in boosting tasty and nutritious food and drink options so kids are nutritiously fuelled to play and be active,” Ms Gannon said.

The Peter Krenz venue – managed by YMCA Victoria on behalf of the City of Greater Bendigo – has a focus on fresh, nourishing food prepared on-site.

It offers wholegrain wraps, roast vegetable frittatas, fruit and yoghurt cups, and homemade icy poles using fruit juice and yoghurt, all of which align with the Government’s Healthy Choices guidelines.

Centre senior coordinator Tamara Norden said joining the Vic Kids Eat Well scheme aligned perfectly with the venue’s core purpose.

“We’ve always had a strong focus on health and wellbeing – it’s what we do,” she said.

“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.

“The kids go straight for the site-made yoghurt and fruit icy poles after swimming – they’re refreshing, filling and naturally flavoured.

“The wraps are also a hit – soft, tasty and packed with colourful veggies.”

Weekly sales of centre offerings have risen so much that the venue has expanded kitchen support hours to meet demand.

“We made the changes with Vic Kids Eat Well years ago, and there’s no going backwards,” Mrs Norden said.

“Now it’s all about how we keep making our food and drink offering better for families.”

In a related event, the City hosted a free Healthy Choices forum at the Bendigo Tennis Centre last week for organisations keen on making nutritious food and drink options accessible at community venues.

The forum featured a rundown about the Peter Krenz program as well as presentations by the Healthy Eating Advisory Service and Vic Kids Eat Well.

City active and healthy communities manager Deb Simpson said the forum was a chance for people to learn how local action can have a lasting impact.

“Peter Krenz Leisure Centre is a fantastic example of what’s possible with Vic Kids Eat Well, the Healthy Choices Guidelines and a shared commitment,” Ms Simpson said.