Five themes for your canteen

Published: 17 August 2017

With a little creativity, theme days can be a fun and cost-effective way to encourage healthy foods. Changing up the regular menu will generate excitement among students and keep them interested in what’s on offer.

Theme days provide a way of celebrating special occasions, trialling different foods and promoting new menu items. It’s also an opportunity to seek customer feedback.

Coming up with a theme idea is the easy part, but how can you help ensure the day is successful?

• plan well in advance and promote extensively
• consider the aim of the promotion – is it to trial a new product, promote vegetables and fruit or to increase menu variety?
• be sure to order enough food to prevent selling out. Pre-orders can help with forecasting numbers
• get the students involved. Find out what themes or popular foods will interest them
• decorate the canteen or dress up to create a buzz.

Themes can be tied in with the school’s calendar such as sports day or special occasions like religious and cultural events. Health awareness events/campaigns also provide an opportunity to focus on specific health-related themes, e.g. World Vegetarian Day. Others can be based around topics being taught in the classroom.

So what healthy, yet tasty foods can you provide that still make a profit? Here are five ideas, but the possibilities are endless, it pays to be imaginative!

Winter Soup Day

A mug of soup is the perfect way to warm up during the cooler months. It’s also a great way to include vegetables on your menu.

• Creamy vegetable soup: $0.35 per serve
• Lentil soup: $0.80 per serve
• Chicken and corn soup: $1.24 per serve

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is an important Chinese festival surrounded by festivity. Why not join in the fun by adding a healthy twist to these traditional Asian recipes?

• Dumplings:  $0.19 per dumpling
• Coriander wraps: $1.05 per serve
• Vegie noodle stir-fry: $2.90 per serve

Heart Day

Heart Day is part of the Heart Foundation’s Annual Appeal, held in February each year. Use red, heart-healthy foods to create awareness and highlight the importance of a healthy heart.

• Fresh tomato and capsicum pasta sauce: $0.15 per serve  -serve with wholemeal pasta and vegetables
• Berry-licious smoothie: $1.77 per serve
• Beetroot and feta summer salad: $2.07 per serve

Vegetables/Fruit of the week

Find exciting ways to promote a different vegetable or fruit each week based on what’s in season.

• Watermelon & cucumber salad: $1.42 per serve
• Chicken and apple meatballs: $2.01 per serve
• Roast carrot dip and spinach wrap: $2.69 per serve

A taste of India

An opportunity to introduce vegetarian protein sources into your menu like chickpeas or other legumes. This theme works well for terms 2 or 3 to keep warm on a winter’s day.

• Butter(less) chicken: $1.97 per serve
• Dhal: $0.30 per serve
• Mild lamb curry: $3.80 per serve

Article by Rebekah Polglaze and Greer Gibson, Massey University Dietetic Students.