Policy
School Sport Victoria Healthy Choices Policy
Published 13 April, 2026
The Rationale
School Sport Victoria (SSV) has an important role in supporting the health and wellbeing of all Victorian students through engagement in school sport.
SSV recognises the importance of healthy options in promoting people's health and wellbeing. SSV is committed to creating a healthy environment which supports SSV staff, volunteers, students, schools and visitors to access healthy food and drink options.
This policy aims to provide and promote healthy food and drink options for SSV employees, visitors and participants at SSV competitions, programs, events and meetings. It demonstrates SSV's commitment to promoting healthy eating in the workplace and to those engaging in school sport.
Good nutrition is important for good health., Research shows that the majority of children do not meet the recommended minimum daily intake for vegetables or fruit. In addition, water is the best choice for kids playing sport.
This policy provides guidance in selecting healthy options when providing food and drink at SSV competitions, programs, events and meetings.
Aim of the Policy
The aim of this policy is to inform the provision of healthy options at SSV competitions, programs, events and meetings.
The policy applies to all food and drinks provided by SSV at:
- SSV meetings and functions
- SSV inter-school sport competitions and championships
- SSV events and programs, including the Victorian Teachers Games
- Team Vic teams participating in SSA Championships
This policy applies in all areas where foods and/or drinks are provided by SSV to staff, volunteers, students, schools and visitors and includes:
- catering provided for meetings, functions and events
- fundraising activities, rewards, incentives, gifts, prizes and give-aways
- advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
The policy aims to support the selection of providers or venues for SSV events, to include:
- food and drink retail outlets such as canteens
- mobile food trucks and coffee carts for events.
The policy does not apply to food and drinks brought from home by staff for their personal use or to share for personal celebrations (such as birthdays). However, staff are encouraged to consider providing healthy options at all times.
The policy is to support staff, volunteers, members and visitors to make available healthy food and drink options by:
- creating an environment which supports healthy food and drink options
- increasing availability and promotion of healthier foods and drinks
- decreasing availability and promotion of red foods and drinks
- increasing knowledge and skills of staff, volunteers, students, schools and visitors regarding healthy food and drink options.
This policy also provides guidance to those responsible for selecting the catering, purchasing and/or preparing food and drinks for school sport purposes.
Catering at SSV Meetings and Functions
For all internal and external catered SSV events, meetings and functions, excluding personal celebrations:
- Healthy food and drink options will consider the traffic light categories of food and drink as per the Victorian Government’s Healthy Choices Guidelines
- Food and drink selection is to have no foods from the red category, choose carefully from the orange category and ensure food and drinks from the green category are included as the main options and available at all times.
- Where practical, SSV's preferred caterers are used to order catering.
- Where possible, SSV aims to meet the needs of those who have special dietary requirements for health (e.g. allergies and intolerances) or cultural reasons. It is a requirement to ask guests about their special dietary requirements, and then plan accordingly.
- Water is readily available and sugar-sweetened drinks are not provided. In the case of alcohol being served or an option at events, water or juice will be promoted in these circumstances.
- SSV or staff should not provide red foods such as chocolates, lollies etc as 'snacks/nibbles' as part of meetings/training courses etc.
Catering at SSV Competitions and Events
The policy for 'catering at SSV meetings and functions' will apply for all catering provide at SSV competitions and events. This is catering provided by SSV to personnel at the following SSV competitions and events:
- SSV State Championships (swimming, track and field, diving and cross country) - event officials, volunteers, SSV staff and external guests
- Victorian Teachers' Games - event volunteers, SSV staff and stakeholders
- SSA Championships hosted by SSV - event officials, volunteers and stakeholders.
In addition, where appropriate:
- Ensure water is readily available at events. This includes ensuring access to free drinking water is provided and encouraging students, volunteers and officials to bring water bottles to events.
- Consider the selection of venues based on healthy choices being available, such as through canteens.
- Consider the selection of and/or influence providers of food and beverages at venues or events, such as mobile food trucks and coffee carts.
Sponsorships
SSV engages with sponsors for School Sport Victoria as well as for the Victorian Teachers' Games.
SSV will not engage directly in sponsorship, marketing, branding or advertising to children and youth of red food and drinks as per the DET Sponsorship Policy
In addition, where SSV undertakes fundraising activities, prizes or awards, these will not include red food and drinks.
Team Vic
SSV supports Victorian representative teams of school students to compete in School Sport Australia Championships as part of TeamVic.
For students participating in TeamVic during School Sport Australia Championships, TeamVic officials will:
Support the provision of nutrition and hydration information to TeamVic student participants.
Encourage the selection of healthy meal options by students whilst competing.
Encourage water as the drink of choice for hydration for students.
Guidelines for Implementing this Policy
SSV will align with Healthy Choices guidelines and traffic light systems to support the selection of healthy food and drink options.
This will be informed through:
Where required SSV and other participants can seek advice from:
- Healthy Eating Advisory Service phone: 1300 22 52 88 (Monday to Friday 9am-5pm), email heas@nutritionaustralia.org or visit heas.health.vic.gov.au which provides a range of resources, including online training and menu assessments, to help implement the Healthy Choices guidelines.
- Online Food Checker - which assess foods and drinks against the Victorian Government's Healthy Choices guidelines.
- Healthy choices policy guidelines for workplaces, including healthy catering options.
Considerations and Steps for SSV
SSV preferred caterers with healthy choice menu options
Implementation
- This policy reflects current practice.
- The policy can be found on the SSV website
- All SSV coordinators will be notified of any changes via the SSV website, Social Media and the SSV eNews
Endorsement
This policy was approved by the School Sport Victoria Chief Executive Officer in May 2024.
Review
This policy is scheduled to be reviewed every two (2) years.
Documents
Resources on categories of food and drink