Masters of Dietetics students from Monash University have been working on the implementation of the Healthy Choices Guidelines at Basketball Ballarat’s new stadium (Ballarat Sports and Events Centre) cafe.
The Healthy Choices Guidelines, uses a colour-coded system to help customers to identify healthy choices. Green foods are the ‘best choice,’ amber foods are those that you should ‘choose carefully,’ and red foods are those that you should ‘limit.’
Basketball Ballarat’s courts have been a community centre for physical activity for nearly 50 years, but changes are needed to ensure the food environment within these spaces also supports a healthy lifestyle.
Health Promotion Officer Melissa Farrington from Ballarat Community Health said “Ballarat’s community experiences higher rates of chronic disease, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, compared to the Victorian average. We also, on average only consume half of the recommended amount of vegetables each day.”
“By implementing the Healthy Choices Guidelines, Basketball Ballarat will be following the lead of many sports and recreation centres around Victoria who have already made this positive change, including Lara Pool, Western Leisure Services, and Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre,” Farrington said.
