National Administration Guideline (5) requires Boards of Trustees to promote healthy food and nutrition to students. The Ministry of Education has developed resources in consultation with the Ministry of Health to assist schools and early childhood education services in their focus on this area.
Becoming a water only school
We encourage all schools to become water only. This means making sure that water (and plain reduced fat milk) is the only drink in your school. Schools that have moved to being water only have seen that it benefits teaching and learning as well as student health and wellbeing.
- Go to the Health Promotion Agency (HPA) for clear and easy to understand infographics showing the amount of sugar in drinks as well as promoting water or low fat milk as the best drink,
- Use this template for formulating your own water only policy to share with parents and caregivers.
'Food and Nutrition for Healthy Confident Kids’ guidelines
These guidelines are designed to help early childhood education services, schools, and their communities develop environments that support healthy eating. They cover developing policies and procedures about food and beverages provided on site and promoting consistent messages about healthy eating.
Go to theView the guidelines on the Te Kete Ipurangi (TKI) website .
‘Food and Nutrition for Healthy Confident Kids’ toolkit
The 'Food and Nutrition for Healthy, Confident Kids’ toolkit contains a range of resources which support the guidelines, including material which can be distributed to whānau and communities.
The English toolkit is available below. The following languages will be available shortly.
- Te reo Māori
- Samoan
- Niuean
- Tokelauan
Food and Beverage Classification System (FBCS)
The Ministry of Health’s Food and Beverage Classification System is designed as a practical tool to support early childhood education services and schools in implementing the Ministry of Education’s guidelines Food and Nutrition for Healthy, Confident Kids. The FBCS identifies recommended options for early childhood education services and schools wishing to provide, sell or promote healthy food and drink. Find out more about the FBCS on the Ministry of Health website .
Other resources
Also available at TKI website - case studies from schools around New Zealand successfully working to improve nutrition, physical activity levels and general wellbeing.
