News Release

31 July 2007

Look Good, Feel Good –
Auckland Schools Get Healthy Eating Boost

Great prizes have been up for grabs at several Auckland schools promoting healthy food choices in their school canteens as part of the ‘Look Good Kai’ programme with Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS).

Mason Ngawhika, health promotion practitioner, ARPHS, says canteen operators, students and teachers in eleven schools all got behind this incentive programme to encourage students to try healthy foods, like soup, sandwiches and fruit with the healthy options easily identified by ‘Look Good Kai’ stickers.

“We had some great prizes on offer including a chance to win ipod nanos, awards of free bottled water from Frucor and the first prize of a free lunch time concert from Kiwi Hip Hop sensations ILL SEMANTICS,” he says.

Mason says over 1500 reward cards were handed in to school collection boxes in just six weeks. St Paul’s College was the winning school with second place going to Waiheke College. The canteen operators at both of these schools noticed an increase in fruit sales and other healthy food items.

Sewlyn College collected over 280 cards during the six week incentive programme. According to Derrick Moppett, the enthusiastic and health- conscious canteen operator at Selwyn College, “it’s all down to the fantastic staff and students who form a strong community”.

Derrick encourages healthy eating all year round. One of his secrets to success is sandwiches for $1 and fruit only 10c!

ARPHS nutritionists helped canteen operators to identify and promote their healthy food and drinks options based on guidelines similar to those being distributed by the Ministries of Education and Health.

‘Look Good Kai’ helps schools meet new government guidelines, extends ARPHS work with schools in the Waitemata region to remove sugary drinks from their premises and provides students with a taste for good food for life.

Participating schools:

Selwyn College
McAuley High School
St Paul’s College
Penrose High School
Otahuhu College
Tamaki College
Waiheke High School
Mt Roskill Grammar School
St Mary’s College
Marcellin College
Waitakere College

The Look Good Kai incentive programme encourages students to collect eight LGK stickers to receive a bottle of water and go into the draw for one of two ipods per school.

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