Healthy Eating - Healthy Action
Oranga Kai - Oranga Pumau

The Food and Beverage Classification System

The Food and Beverage Classification System is a way of classifying foods and beverages that are recommended for sale or provision at schools and ECE services. The system has been designed specifically for foods and beverages children commonly consume in the education setting.

View resources for the Food and Beverage Classification System.

The three-tiered system identifies foods and beverages that are:

• Everyday foods: appropriate for everyday consumption. Encourage and promote these foods and drinks in your school.
• Sometimes foods: for restricted provision. Do not let these foods and drinks dominate the choices available, and provide in appropriate serving sizes
• Occasional foods: not for provision. Limit provision of these foods or drinks to about ONE occasion per term.

Encouraging healthy food choices early in life can help create lifelong preferences for healthy foods. Some early childhood education (ECE) services and schools already have policies and procedures about what is offered on site to ensure that healthy choices are available, and many more are developing such policies. Implementing the Food and Beverage Classification System will help schools and ECE services identify and offer healthy food choices to children and young people.

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Resources

User Guide for early childhood education (ECE) services

This guide, produced by the Ministry of Health, supports the Ministry of Education’s Food and Nutrition for Healthy, Confident Kids: Guidelines to Support Healthy Eating Environments in New Zealand Early Childhood Education Services and Schools.This guide is available in PDF format below and has been split into the following sections:

• Contents and Introduction (PDF, 1 MB)
• Classifying foods and drinksfor early childhood; Quick reference guide; Applying the system to catering (PDF, 3 MB) - Warning large file size
• Nutritional Information and Fast Facts; Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 1 MB)
• Appendices, References, Glossary and Acknowledgements (PDF, 1 MB)

Hard copies can be ordered on the HealthEd website - the User Guide is included in the Early Childhood Education Services Kit.

Recipes for ECE services

These recipes and the accompanying user guide to the Food and Beverage Classification System, produced by the Ministry of Health, support the Ministry of Education’s Food and Nutrition for Healthy, Confident Kids: Guidelines to Support Healthy Eating Environments in New Zealand Early Childhood Education Services and Schools. These recipes are available in PDF format below and have been split into the following sections:

• Contents; Soup (PDF, 1 MB)
• Sandwiches; Toasted Sandwiches and Toasties; Snacks (PDF, 1 MB)
• Main Meals (PDF, 3 MB) - Warning large file size
• Salads; Vegetables; Cakes and Muffins; Desserts; Acknowledgements (PDF, 3 MB) - Warning large file size

Hard copies can be ordered on the HealthEd website - the Recipes are included in the Early Childhood Education Services Kit.

User Guide for Schools (Years 1-13)

These guidelines, produced by the Ministry of Health, support the Ministry of Education’s Food and Nutrition for Healthy, Confident Kids: Guidelines to Support Healthy Eating Environments in New Zealand Early Childhood Education Services and Schools. These guidelines are available in PDF format below:

• User Guide for schools (Years 1-13) (PDF, 3 MB) - Warning large file size

Hard copies can be ordered on the HealthEd website - the User Guide is included in the Years 1-13 Kit.

Catering Guidelines for Schools

These guidelines, produced by the Ministry of Health, support the Ministry of Education’s Food and Nutrition for Healthy, Confident Kids: Guidelines to Support Healthy Eating Environments in New Zealand Early Childhood Education Services and Schools. These guidelines are available to download in PDF format only and have been split into the following sections:

• Contents; Introduction; Classifying foods and drinks for schools; Catering guidelines (PDF, 3 MB) - Warning large file size
• Food Ideas (PDF, 1 MB)
• Recipes (PDF, 4 MB) - Warning large file size
• Developing and Modifying Recipes; Checklists; Menu planning; Safe food handling; Equipment needs; What to include in a catering contract; Understanding labels; References; Glossary; Acknowledgements (PDF, 4 MB) - Warning large file size

Hard copies can be ordered on the HealthEd website - the Catering Guidelines are included in the Years 1-13 Kit.

Page last updated: 30 June 2009