The Victorian Government is helping to create health-promoting environments throughout the state. Healthy Choices is a framework for improving the provision and promotion of healthier foods and drinks in key settings where Victorians spend their time.
The Healthy Eating Advisory Service (HEAS), delivered by the National Nutrition Foundation with support from the Victorian Government, helps organisations to implement Healthy Choices.
Healthy Choices framework
The framework is designed to support the implementation of healthier practices and includes a classification guide, policy guidelines and a policy directive.
Classification guide
The Healthy choices: food and drink classification guide explains the Victorian Government's 'traffic light' system for classifying foods and drinks as GREEN (best choices), AMBER (choose carefully) or RED (limit).
This 'traffic light' system is used behind the scenes by staff in settings to support menu planning for the provision of healthier food and drink options in retail outlets, vending machines and catering. The Department does not encourage public facing use of the traffic light system to signpost foods and drinks on display (i.e. does not encourage labelling foods and drinks as GREEN, AMBER or RED).
Note, the classification guide was updated at the end of 2020; see the summary of the main changes between the current 2020 and previous 2016 version.
Policy guidelines
The policy guidelines support the implementation of Healthy Choices in hospitals and health services, sport and recreation centres, workplaces, and parks and recreational reserves.
For more information on the guidelines for health services, see Healthy choices: policy directive and guidelines for health services.
Policy directive
The Healthy choices: policy directive for Victorian public services applies to all public health services, including hospitals, public sector residential aged care services (PSRACS), and integrated community health services. It is based on the existing Healthy choices: food and drink classification guide and Healthy choices: policy guidelines for hospitals and health services, with an additional requirement for high sugar (RED category) drinks not to be sold provided or promoted in any in-house managed retail outlets, all vending, all catering, and items purchased by staff and visitors from patient/resident menus.
Health services are encouraged to continue implementing the Healthy choices: policy guidelines for hospitals and health services in their commercially/privately managed retail food outlets.
For more information on the policy directive, see Healthy choices: policy directive and guidelines for health services.
Practice note
This practice note provides guidance on implementing the Healthy Choices policy framework, which aims to deliver both health and environmental sustainability outcomes.
The practice note provides environmental sustainability tips that that can be applied when implementing the Healthy Choices guidelines.
The Healthy Eating Advisory Service
Implementation of Healthy Choices is supported by the Healthy Eating Advisory Service. The Healthy Eating Advisory Service (HEAS) is delivered by experienced dietitians and nutritionists at the National Nutrition Foundation, with support from the Victorian Government. HEAS helps organisations to put Healthy Choices into practice and provide and promote healthier food and drink choices.
HEAS offers:
- online learning
- online menu, vending, product and recipe assessments with FoodChecker
- information and guidance on planning healthier menus, providing suitable catering and creating healthier food environments.
Many settings have implemented Healthy Choices with HEAS; read some of their case studies.
For further information or implementation support, visit the Healthy Eating Advisory Service website, call HEAS on 1300 22 52 88, or email heas@nnf.org.au.
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