New Queensland-wide research has shown that 88 per cent of parents believe it is important that school tuckshops offer healthy food and drink options to children.
Health and Wellbeing Queensland’s recent research report, Eating out in Queensland: Understanding the drivers behind food choice, showed that 39 per cent of respondents reported ordering from the tuckshop once a week or more, while 65 per cent use the service on a monthly basis.
Deanne Wooden from the Queensland Association of School Tuckshops (QAST) says that the role of the school tuckshop has evolved and can make all the difference in ensuring kids have a healthy meal at school to support their learning.
“Finding healthy options when relying on foods and drinks purchased outside of the home is not always easy, and school tuckshops have a key role to play” Ms Wooden said.
“With more than 870,000 children currently enrolled in government and non-government schools across Queensland, based on this research, we can comfortably assume that hundreds of thousands of families are relying on their school tuckshop at least once a week to feed their children.
“Tuckshop is no longer just a treat; for many it is a necessity.
“As the cost of living goes up, tuckshops are an essential service for busy families who may not have the ingredients at home to prepare a healthy lunch for their children.
“Queensland parents need to have access to tuckshop food that is nutritious, appealing and affordable.
“With childhood overweight and obesity levels still sitting at 25 per cent of the population, and food costs rising, it’s never been more important for tuckshops to supply affordable and healthy food and drinks to their student community.”
About the research
Respondents comprised 1,255 Queensland adults. Of those, 752 had primary school children aged 5–12 years and the remaining 503 were either childless or had children not in this age bracket.
Respondents were asked about their experiences and opinions when eating out-of-home at restaurants and cafes, sporting clubs and stadiums, school tuckshops and hospitals.
