The WA School Food and Drink Criteria specifies that some foods are required to include or be served with half a serve of salad or vegetables.
Half a serve of vegetables is 1/4 cup cooked or 1/2 a cup of raw salad or vegetables.
Check out our What is half a serve of salad or vegetables? factsheet to learn more.
How to incorporate half a serve of salad or vegetables in a meal
1. Hot meals prepared on site
In hot meals prepared on-site, make a conscious effort to incorporate more vegetables. For example:
- Curries: add sweet potato, spinach, chickpeas.
- Mexican tacos or bowls: add tomato, corn, beans, capsicum, lettuce, onion.
- Asian stir fry or fried rice: add broccoli, mushroom, capsicum, carrot, green beans, snow peas, onion.
- Burgers: add lettuce, tomato, beetroot, carrot, cucumber, onion .
2. Commercial hot meals
Select readymade meals that include vegetables or pair with appropriate vegetables/salad as a side. Try:
- Adding 1/4 cup of frozen vegetables (i.e. peas, corn or carrot) to a meal before heating.
- Make sure the side you choose is an appropriate pairing for the main meal. For example, serving a curry with a garden salad is less likely to be enjoyed and consumed compared to a curry paired with some roasted cauliflower or green beans.
3. Create meal deals that automatically include vegetables or salad
Serve meals or AMBER meat products alongside a small garden salad, coleslaw with yoghurt dressing, roasted vegetables, cut up carrot and cucumber veggie sticks, mixed bean salad or corn on the cob.
4. Sandwiches/rolls/wraps
Have salad as an existing component of these menu items rather than an optional addition. For example, instead of offering a chicken and mayonnaise sandwich, offer a chicken, mayonnaise and salad sandwich with lettuce, tomato and carrot.
5. Make including salad or vegetables more affordable
Use canned beans and legumes, frozen vegetables or in season vegetables. Not only are they more cost effective but they are also often more nutritious!
