While 68.88% of Queensland children are eating the recommended number of serves of fruit each day, only 2.8% are eating the recommended number of serves of vegetables each day*.
That means a whopping 97% of Queensland kids are skilfully dodging their vegetables.
We know it’s not just the school’s role to make sure students eat their 5 serves of vegetables in a day BUT tuckshops CAN play a part in helping to increase children’s vegie intake.
There’s plenty of tuckshop favourites that convenors can sneak some vegies into.
Here is our top 5:
Pasta Bolognese
Pasta with a Bolognese sauce is a weekly staple in many family homes. Rich and flavoursome, it’s a comfort food that will always go down well. It can also be packed full of lots of vegetables, that in some cases, the kids don’t even need to know about.
This slow-cooked pasta Bolognese recipe from our friends at Biloela State School goes the extra mile and include lentils to bulk out the meat component, as well as carrot, zucchini, and a grated apple!
Burritos
The classic Mexican burrito is a firm favourite on tuckshop menus Australia-wide. While it’s easy to load up with salad veggies (i.e. lettuce, tomatoes, capsicum), why not try adding some extra vegetables into the beef filling?
This super easy burrito recipe from the team at Currajong State School packs a veggie punch with the addition of frozen veggie rice (carrot, cauliflower, and broccoli), as well as corn! The best part? The kids don’t even realise the veggies are there!
Home-made Burgers
Who doesn’t love a good burger? And they are even better when they are home-made!
You can easily pack a fruit and veggie punch when building your burgers by adding lettuce/spinach, tomato, cucumber, carrot, onion, avocado and beetroot.
When it comes to the burger patty, making it from scratch will always guarantee more flavour, and provide a fantastic opportunity to squeeze more veggies in.
These veggie-loaded beef patties from the tuckshop at Yugumbir State School include carrot and zucchini, but grated pumpkin could easily be added too.
Butter Chicken
A staple of any Indian takeaway order, Butter Chicken always goes down a treat with audiences young and old.
Why not follow Southport State School’s lead and pack it full of nutritious veggies too? This delicious butter chicken recipe includes cauliflower, carrot, zucchini, sweet potato, pumpkin, onion, and garlic, all blitzed up to maintain that creamy, smooth sauce that kids trust and love.
Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Simple and delicious; two words you will often find associated with a classic mac ‘n’ cheese. It’s a no-brainer for any tuckshop menu, especially in primary schools, where kids often lean towards basic and familiar.
But have you ever considered adding some veggies to it?
This Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese from Tallebudgera State School heroes cauliflower, pumpkin, and carrot, which give it a beautiful, vibrant orange tinge that kids often mistake for cheesy sauce!
Have you got a great recipe you use in your tuckshop that is packed with vegetables? Send it through to chrissy@qast.org.au and we will share it on our website!
*Source: The health of Queenslanders: Report of the Chief Health Officer Queensland
