Recess and snack ideas

Snacks can be served at Recess and Lunch and are a great opportunity to increase the amount of GREEN foods on your menu. By building the snacks you offer around the food groups, you will provide your students with nutritious options that can keep them alert and energetic throughout the school day.

Fruit

• In summer, watermelon cups are very popular. Try mixing in other fruits that are in season

• Serve bags of grapes chilled or frozen

• Any fruits that are easy to peel or are served cut up are more likely to appeal to adolescents

• Offer fruit straps or fruit purees

• Serve tinned fruit with low fat ice cream or custard

• Mix dried fruit and nuts in snack size bags (check with your school allergy policy before serving nuts)

Vegetables

• Baked potato served with a sprinkling of ham and reduced fat cheese

• Warm corn on the cob

• Garden salads mixed with chicken, egg, reduced fat cheese or tuna

• Coleslaws, tabbouli, and Greek salads

Breads, cereals, pastas and grains

• Raisin toast, English muffins, fruit scones and fruit buns, spread lightly with low-salt margarine

• Mini wraps – use small Lebanese bread, fill with sandwich fillings and cut in half.

• Sell soup with a bread roll in winter

• Breakfast cereals

• Popcorn (check against the Fresh Tastes @ School NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy ‘Occasional’ Food Criteria Table)

• Home made garlic bread, make this using a low-salt margarine and crushed garlic spread

• Toasted jaffles or serves of pasta or rice salad in summer

Dairy foods

• Custard – served plain or with fruit. Try making mini trifle cups with layers of jelly, fruit and custard

• Cheese

• Mini pizzas are a great recess snack. Melt reduced-fat cheese on English muffins that have been spread lightly with tomato paste. Add capsicum pieces and diced ham.

• In a small zip-lock bag place three low fat, low salt crackers (check against the Fresh Tastes @ School NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy criteria) with reduced fat cheese cubes.

• Milk

• Served hot in winter with Milo

• Add to breakfast cereals – now available in bowls ready for milk to be added

• Yoghurt – regular, mousse or frozen varieties. Reduced-fat varieties are best.

• Rice custard served with tinned peaches or fresh banana slices.