Health services
Health services play an important role in supporting the health and wellbeing of staff and visitors. Supplying healthier foods and drinks to your staff and visitors is now part of the Department of Health’s Healthy choices: policy directive for Victorian public health services.
We can assist your organisation in understanding and meeting the requirements of the Policy directive.
All Victorian health services are strongly encouraged to implement the Healthy choices: policy directive for Victorian public health services across all of their retail food outlets – both in-house and privately/commercially managed. However, the original Healthy choices guidelines can still be applied in private health services and in privately/commercially managed retail food outlets in public health services.
Implementing the policy directive
The Policy directive applies to all public health services across all of their sites and facilities (such as hospitals, integrated community health services and public residential aged care services). Access our library of resources to learn more about the Policy directive and the relevant food and drink targets.
Why implement Healthy Choices?
If the Policy directive does not apply to your health service you can access our suite of resources for implementing the Healthy choices guidelines.
Assess your menu with FoodChecker
Get a free, instant report on the food and drinks you supply with our online assessment tool, FoodChecker! Use FoodChecker to assess menus, vending machines, recipes and products according to both:
- the Victorian Government’s Healthy choices: policy directive for Victorian public health services
- the original Healthy choices guidelines
Browse healthy recipes
Check out our range of delicious recipes to support healthier eating in retail food outlets and catering services. All recipes are classified as GREEN or AMBER, in line with the Victorian Government’s Healthy choices: food and drink classification guide.
Develop healthy eating policies and contracts for your organisation
Developing a healthy eating policy in line with the Healthy choices: policy directive for Victorian public health services is an important step for successful implementation. Reflecting this in food and drink contracts and tenders will help to ensure your health service is meeting the Policy directive requirements. Access our resources for developing a healthy eating policy, free contract and tender templates and real-life examples.
Provide healthier catering, vending and retail
HealthShare Victoria and the Healthy Eating Advisory Service have worked together to classify catering products commonly available to health services to assist them in meeting the requirements of the Healthy choices: policy directive.
Promoting healthy eating
Communicating your organisation’s progress and milestones to stakeholders is an important part of the Healthy choices: policy directive implementation process.
The Healthy Eating Advisory Service acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we operate. We pay our respects to them, their culture and their Elders past and present.
The Healthy Eating Advisory Service is delivered by experienced nutritionists and dietitians at Nutrition Australia Vic Division, with support from the Victorian Government.
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