Winners of Vic Kids Eat Well Awards announced

The 10 winners in the first Vic Kids Eat Well awards have been announced, celebrating Victorian schools, outside school hours care (OSHC) services, sports clubs, community organisations, local health promotion teams and individuals who demonstrated an outstanding commitment to boosting healthy, delicious food and drinks options for children in 2022.

Some inspirational stories from the 45 recognised community nominees include: 12 primary students running a ‘Camp Kitchen’ offering tasty weekly specials; a school canteen offering meals made from their veggie patch; and, a sports club offering kids hearty soups and free fruit post games.

Vic Kids Eat Well is supported by the Victorian Government and is delivered by Cancer Council Victoria’s Achievement Program, in partnership with Nutrition Australia’s Healthy Eating Advisory Service.

In the OSHC category, Athol Road Primary School OSHC, from Springvale South, were the winners, with Gumnuts Lakes Entrance OSHC receiving an honourable mention. 

Victoria’s Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas congratulated the winners and nominees, and said it was impressive to see the positive difference that programs like Vic Kids Eat Well make at a local level.

“We want all Victorian children to enjoy a healthy, happy childhood. Programs like Vic Kids Eat Well are helping to set up our children for good health and future wellbeing,” Minister Thomas said.

Cancer Council Victoria CEO Todd Harper AM thanked all the award winners and nominees for their incredible progress since Vic Kids Eat Well was launched last year.

“Community organisations, local health promotion teams and Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation’s Healthy Kids Advisors have worked together in creative and innovative ways to support kids’ health and wellbeing as they grow, helping set the foundations for good health later in life,” he continued.

Over 650 organisations have now joined Vic Kids Eat Well, and organisers hope the Awards will inspire others to ‘take a bite’ towards a healthier future for all children living in Victoria.

Nutrition Australia CEO Lucinda Hancock said it was “very encouraging” to see the changes these organisations and champions have made; from involving children in menu decisions at OSHC, prepping and cooking foods for their fellow school students or providing healthy snacks and water to help children play sport.

“And our biggest champions are the kids who’ve embraced these food and drink swaps, which see them enjoy veggie-packed meals from their canteen menu or school lunch orders, or through fruit cups and snack packs for kids’ library story-time, using reusable water bottles and getting ‘hands-on’ using seasonal fresh produce grown from gardens,” she added.

For more information about the award winners, please visit the Vic Kids Eat Well Award winners’ page.

To join the Vic Kids Eat Well movement, please see here.