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Promoting Fruit and Vegetables to Kids

Everyone knows fresh fruit and vegetables are good for you, but how do we get kids making the right choice once they reach the canteen counter?

The answer is simple, cut-up fruit and vegetables are their own form of advertising, nothing draws people closer then a freshly sliced piece of rockmelon, watermelon, mango and even an apple.

Selling fruit and vegetables doesn’t have to be so hard.  Why not go straight to the source, ask the students what healthy options they would like to see on the menu board. Remember each school has different needs and wants when it comes to their students and as a daily provider of food, canteens need to distinguish which fruit and vegetables appeal to their students.

We know that canteen mangers are certainly trying to push the healthy message through their canteens. Having a good relationship with your local green grocer may help in achieving those goals. They not only are a provider of quality fresh fruit and vegetables but also a great source of information, especially when it comes to finding out what is in season. 

Fresh for Kids
Fresh For Kids (www.freshforkids.com.au) is also a great resource that can be used to promote fresh fruit and vegetables within school canteens. The programs main objective is to increase fresh fruit and vegetable consumption within primary schools across NSW, ACT and QLD.

Canteen managers are encouraged to contact Sydney Markets to discuss cost effective and innovative ways of promoting fresh fruit and vegetables to school canteens. Some ideas include:
1. Ensure the fruit bowl is at eye level, the best place is at the counter where kids can see the different pieces of fruit on offer. Remember to change the fruit in the fruit bowl regularly, removing old and browning produce.
2. Infants or kindy kids plates per classroom at a set price $2 per plate.
3. Take advantage of the free promotional material available from Fresh for Kids, reward students who make the healthy choice at lunch time or recess.
4. Have a $5 healthy food voucher, which is awarded to students during an assembly.
5. Feature a ‘new’ product, which is in season each week, ie Tangello’s - cut up a tangello or two into small pieces and place on a plate to offer to kids to try free.  If the kids like the fruit on offer utilize it in a fruit salad.
6. Take advantage of what’s happening around you eg: Soccer, Rugby Fever Week and include a favourite fruit or vegetable of one of the players. You can even wrap salad sandwiches in green and gold tissue paper!
7. Get the teachers involved, find out when kids are learning about fruit and vegetables and tie it in with a canteen promotion.
8. Get the SRC involved, let them run a healthy day at the school canteen.
9. Use tools like slinky machines to make apples more fun and appealing to kids.
10. Get the parents involved, run a competition asking mums and dads for their all time favourite fruit and vegetable recipe – promote it via the school newsletter and reward their children with a healthy lunch voucher.

Green Grocer Information
The key to good quality fruit at reasonable prices is to develop a good relationship with your local green grocer. By having a good relationship you can discuss areas including:
1. Good quality produce that will last a week or more
2. Good sized fruits or vegetables (ie small apples)
3. A discount
4. Delivery
5. Credit or account facilities
6. Information about what is coming into season for your menu planning or information about which produce is likely to be plentiful and therefore cheaper
7. Broken case produce, box of produce for set price
8. Fruit which will ripen over the week

TOP TIP: Ascertain what YOU can offer and negotiate a deal that will keep both parties happy. Continued recognition within the school newsletter is not only a great form of advertising for the green grocer but may also be a way, “The key to good quality fruit at reasonable prices is to develop a good relationship with your local green grocer.”