The following guidelines will help you improve the nutrition of freshly prepared food and recipes.

Nutritional improvement Tips

Increase the fibre • Include vegetables and/or fruit in recipes as much as possible (eg. sandwich fillings, soups, quiches, omelette, pizza, pasta, baked potatoes, meatballs, rice, noodles, muffins, smoothies and loaves).

• Include beans and legumes in dishes to add bulk and flavour.

• Choose whole grain, multi grain or wholemeal breads, cereals, rice, noodles and pasta.

• For baking, use wholemeal flour or half white and half wholemeal, or include whole grains such as oats, bran and seeds.

Reduce the salt • Instead of using salt try adding lemon, vinegar, herbs, and/or spices to flavour your dishes.

• If using salty ingredients such as olives, cheese, processed meats or Asian sauces in a recipe, do not add salt.

• Where possible use low-salt ingredients (eg. those that are labelled ‘low salt’, ‘no added salt’ or ‘salt reduced’).

• Avoid regularly using processed meat (eg. ham, bacon, sausage, frankfurter, corned beef, smoked chicken, luncheon, salami, crumbed meat and seafood).

- Ham/luncheon/salami/bacon: no more than 30g per serve for filling or topping.

- Sausage: no more than 120g per serve for a main meal.

Reduce the saturated fat

Meat

• Use lean meat or trim the visible fat off meat.

• Use skinless poultry or remove the skin.

• Use cooking techniques that do not add extra fat or oil such as roasting, grilling, baking and poaching. After cooking, skim the fat off the surface or drain the grease.

• Limit the use of processed meat such as bacon and sausage.

Milk, cheese and yoghurt

• Use low- or reduced-fat milk as the default option.

• Provide/use reduced-fat versions (eg. cheese, yoghurt, sour cream and cream cheese).

• Use cheese that is naturally lower in fat such as cottage, Edam, mozzarella, ricotta and lite varieties of hard cheese, such as cheddar and colby cheese. Alternatively use a smaller amount of stronger-flavoured cheese (eg. parmesan, blue vein or tasty cheese).

• If a recipe calls for butter and/or cream, use only butter or cream in a dish but not both and:

- use no more than 1 tsp butter per serve in cooking or no more than 2 tsp cream per serve in cooking

- instead of cream or sour cream, offer natural, unsweetened yoghurt as the default garnish

- when using coconut cream, choose the reduced-fat varieties or coconut-flavoured evaporated milk.

Food preparation and cooking tips for school canteens and food providers

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Food preparation and cooking tips for school canteens and food providers

Nutritional improvement Tips

Reduce the saturated fat

Spreads

• Use margarine or plant-based alternatives instead of butter. Alternatives include avocado, hummus, nut or seed butter, reduced-fat spreadable cheeses (eg. cottage cheese or ricotta).

Pastry items

• Use filo pastry instead of short or puff pastry.

• Otherwise, limit the size of pastry items†: - Pies: no more than 180g per pie

- Sausage rolls: no more than 100g

- Spring rolls, samosas: no more than 100g

- Filled pastries, cheese and spinach triangles: no more than 120g

- Pastries, danish, croissant: no more than 65g.

Deep fried food

• Replace deep-fried food with healthier alternatives. For example chips, wedges, crumbed fish or chicken can be cooked in the oven instead of deep fried. Brush with healthier oil, such as canola, rice bran, sunflower for crispness.

Reduce the sugar Dessert

• If desserts are offered include fruit in recipes. Ensure there is no more than 10g (2.5 teaspoons) added sugars* per serve.

• Limit the portion to no more than 120g per serve.

Drinks

• Avoid selling any sugary drinks (eg. soft drinks, energy drinks, fruit drinks and sports drinks).

• Where possible, use fruit for sweetness instead of adding sugar* (eg. still or sparkling water with fresh fruit pieces).

• Serve whole-fruit smoothies or slushies without any added sugars*.

Sweet baked products

• Avoid icing baked products otherwise use a light dusting of icing sugar or water icing/glaze no more than 3mm thick.

• Sliced fruit and yoghurt are healthy toppings.

• No confectionary within or as a topping on baked products.

• Include fruit in recipes as a sweetener so added sugars* can be reduced.

• Limit the portion size of sweet baked products†: - Scones, cake: no more than 80g

- Loaf, muffins, brownie: no more than 80g

- Slices, friands: no more than 80g

- Pikelets/pancakes: no more than 40g.

* Added sugars includes sugar, honey, syrup, fruit juice and fruit juice concentrates.

† Ensure portion sizes are appropriate for the age of the children (ie. junior versus senior students). Cut larger servings into smaller portion sizes for smaller children.

Our Fresh Made Nutrition Guidelines offer more information, tips and resources to help you make recipes and freshly prepared food healthier. Contact us for details.

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