QKFN events

Look Where We've Been

The QKFN Team has been busy spreading the news about healthy eating and active lifestyles to Queensland kids.

Queensland Association of School Tuckshops Expo

In recent years, Australia has seen increasing levels of overweight and obesity in children and young people. The Queensland Government has placed great importance on improving the healthiness of foods and drinks available in schools.

With the introduction by Education Queensland of the ‘Smart Choices' Strategy, all Queensland State Schools have had to review their tuckshop menus. All food and drink now have to be classified as Red, Amber or Green.

Red foods are to be supplied ‘occasionally' on no more than two days occasions per term.

Amber foods have to be ‘selected carefully' and cannot dominate the menu. Serving sizes have also been reduced.

Green foods are encouraged and promoted as ‘have plenty' foods. Fresh fruit and vegetables fall into this category and the new ‘Smart Choices' Strategy is an excellent opportunity for the industry to promote fresh produce to schools and children.

Brisbane Markets attended the Queensland Association of School Tuckshops Expo at the RNA to promote fresh fruit and vegetables to over 550 tuckshop convenors. Marketing Officers Jacqui Gregory and Chiara Sullivan handed out posters, brochures and fruit to eager convenors all searching for information to help them implement the new strategy.

fit4 fun launch

Brisbane Market's Bazza Banana, Summa Strawberry and Marketing Officer Jacqui Gregory attended the launch of the 2007 fit4fun program.

Brisbane Produce Market is a proud sponsor of the fit4fun program, an initiative run by the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation. Now in its fourth year, the program encourages primary school kids all over Queensland to eat healthy food, be active, and have fun while raising money to help work wonders for sick kids. The funds raised go directly to the Children's Nutrition Research Centre.

As part of this year's launch, students joined forces to compete against some of the Brisbane Broncos in a fun but challenging obstacle course.

Brisbane Broncos' players and Royal Children's Hospital Foundation celebrity ambassadors Brent Tate and Karmichael Hunt attended the launch alongside some junior Broncos players. Brent, one of the faces of this year's campaign, said growing up in Roma helped him learn the value of a healthy lifestyle, a philosophy he hopes to pass on to kids.

"I grew up in Roma and always had plenty of room to run around and keep active. It was a great foundation for teaching me the importance of regular physical activity and has helped give me the discipline needed for keeping me active today.

"As a member of the Brisbane Broncos, regular training and a healthy diet are imperative in helping me stay on top of my game and I hope I can inspire kids to adopt my philosophy.

"Staying active doesn't have to be a tedious exercise for kids, it should be fun and can be as simple as kicking a footy around the backyard. fit4fun is a fantastic program to encourage kids to have fun whilst eating healthy and keeping active and I am proud to be a 2007 Ambassador.

"Not only does the fit4fun program encourage kids to eat healthy and get out and about, it raises money so the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation can continue to work wonders for sick and injured kids."

For additional information on fit4fun contact Kath Jensen at the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation on 07 3854 1911. More information about the fit4fun program can be found at www.fit4fun.com.au.

On the road with QKFN

Brisbane Markets Marketing and Communications Officers Jacqui Gregory and Chiara Sullivan have been on the road promoting fresh fruit and vegetables to Queensland primary students.

As well as the usual schedule of Brisbane Markets Apples Ain't Apples presentations, Jacqui and Chiara attended:

• Ag-Ed Toowoomba 2007 held in February at the Toowoomba Showgrounds.
• Rural Discovery Day as part of Primary Industries Week in May.
• AG-Ed Day as part of the Gold Coast Show in August.
• Ag-Ed Day as part of the Beaudesert Show in September.

The sessions were very interactive and students were challenged to learn about fruit and vegetables through open-ended questions. Students learnt about how much fruit and vegetables they should be eating each day, what nutrients are contained in fruit and vegetables, the difference between fruit and vegetables, the different parts of the plant that fruit and vegetables come from and how fruit and vegetables travel from paddock to plate through the Central Market System. Examples of fruit and vegetables were also presented and students were asked to name what each piece was and what part of the plant it came from.

A teacher resource pack was presented to each group and local Fresh Tastes retailers donated apples and every student received a piece of fruit as they left the presentation.