New Zealand Heart Foundation Otago health promotion co-ordinator Jo Arthur believed the region was doing "extremely well" in terms of having healthy food environments in schools.
Having the majority of secondary schools involved in the Heart Foundation Healthy Heart Awards scheme meant Otago was well known nationally as promoting healthy lifestyles to school pupils, she said.
"The majority are trying to promote healthy food and the majority have the kids' best interests at heart."
Children who were well nourished were easier to teach, had fewer sick days and achieved better in sport and academically, she said.
A regional canteen network, in which the majority of schools was involved, allowed them to share recipes, ideas and nutritional knowledge with each other, which provided support for healthy eating in the school community, she said.
Since the Government altered the school food guidelines this year, she had found "really good schools" were continuing with the promotion of only healthy food options in their canteens.
Queens High School canteen manager Alison McIntosh banned pies, lollies and fizzy drinks in favour of home-made food which catered to pupils' needs and wants.
"We are here to try and help the kids," she said.
With chicken burgers, hot soup and bagels on offer, about 150 pupils used the canteen a day. Having a variety of food available was important, Mrs McIntosh said.
Before school started, the canteen was open, offering fresh muffins, hot chocolate and muesli with fruit and yoghurt for those who had not had breakfast.
During morning interval, spaghetti buns, mouse-traps, scones and more muffins and hot chocolates were sold before lunch brought sandwiches, pasta, potato bake, nachos, salad and quiche.
Vegetarian options were always available, main dishes cost about $3.50 each and instead of fizzy drinks, milk, juice and water were available, she said.
Three staff were creating "home-made food that kids eat".
"They don't ask for pies. But you have to make it up in other ways."
Freshly made fruit bags were made to satisfy those with a sweet tooth and during summer months watermelon and pineapple were regularly available. The odd bit of lolly and fudge cake was also made, but pupils knew it was a treat.
"The board has it running as a healthy service."
Of Otago Girls High School's 800 pupils, about 200 used the school canteen regularly to buy either lunch or snacks, canteen manager Lynne Thomson said.
All food was prepared on site by her, with two pupils working on the tills during interval and lunch.
She described supplying healthy options for the pupils as a "common-sense thing" and said she received positive feedback about the food on offer, "no grizzles".
Menu items ranged from filled rolls, wraps, soup and a "hot dish" of the day. These items included macaroni cheese, sushi, chicken pasta and beef stir-fry and rotated on a monthly roster.
Where possible, low-fat foods were used, including low-fat cheese, and although pies were available, they were small savouries which had the heart foundation tick, she said.
A change in the Ministry of Education school food guidelines last year had no impact on the canteen as it adopted the principles years before.
On the other hand, Kings High School left food options up to the pupils and made no changes to the operation of its canteen when the guidelines were introduced and then changed.
The canteen manager, who did not want to be named, said the school-run canteen sold food according to demand.
Pies, hot-dogs and fizzy drinks were on sale next to milk, soup and filled rolls, leaving the decision to purchase healthier food up to the pupils.
With Wests across the road and dairies in the vicinity of the school, pupils would leave school grounds to purchase food if they wanted to, she said.
"They will get it from somewhere else if they don't get it from here.
"This way the money goes back to the school," she said.
The canteen served about 200 pupils a day and its three staff tended to see regular pupils, "some of the boys we don't even see".
Healthy options
In June last year, a change was made to the National Administration Guidelines which required boards of trustees to promote healthy food and nutrition for all students and only sell healthy food options on school premises. When National came to power, it removed the requirement to make only healthy food options available.
Source: Ministry of Education.
