Fresh ideas for adding vegies to the menu

There are many ways a school may provide food for students in the morning such as a regular breakfast program, catering for an early training session, or planning for a large-scale event like a Father’s Day celebration.

Whatever the upcoming breakfast event on your school calendar, we have put together some fresh ideas for your canteen, parent body or the organising committee to boost vegies on the menu. After all, learning to love vegies starts at the beginning and getting them into breakfast is a great way to kick things off.

As students are often keen to get involved when their school is running an event, why not enlist their help! Designing menus, setting up a catering table, or serving food to invited guests are great ways to pitch in. Getting students involved helps foster responsibility, as well as increase exposure to simple, tasty and creative ways to enjoy healthy food, plus positive exposure includes more than just eating the food on offer.

If your school is keen on showcasing vegies when providing food, check out some of our fresh ideas below.

Bread roll bowls

Scoop out the middle of halved rolls and fill with baked beans, remembering to choose wholegrain rolls for added fibre and a slow release of energy. Oven bake the halved rolls before filling as this will ensure they hold shape when it comes time to serve.  

Egg-y options

Make mini muffins or quiches using chopped or sliced tomato, mushroom and onion, pile into muffin trays with whisked egg and sprinkle with cheddar. Eggs provide the perfect vehicle for serving veg.

Pikelets and pancakes

Whip up a batch of pikelets or pancakes for an easy way to serve grab and go veg. Add grated sweet potato and creamed corn to add hearty flavour to the morning stack. 

Smoothies

Include veg in the mix when making a smoothie. Blitz some cucumber, spinach and apple for a green blend that packs some punch. There’s a combination to suit everyone’s taste buds. Serve in small 100ml cups to make it go further. 

Porridge with a twist

Grate pumpkin into the porridge pot to cook and soften with the oats and add a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg. Porridge is perfect for cooler mornings and easy to serve in little cups with a spoon to scoop.