About the Crunch&Sip® program
Crunch&Sip is a primary school nutrition program, developed to increase the amount of vegetables, fruits and water being consumed by Western Australian children. It is an easy way to help kids stay healthy and happy during class time!
The Crunch&Sip break is not designed to replace recess and must occur within class time. Students bring vegetables and/or fruit in a reusable container and a water bottle to school each day for the Crunch&Sip break. Giving students the chance to re-fuel in class with fruit or vegetables helps to improve physical and mental performance and concentration, as well as promoting long term health.
Crunch&Sip is a well-established program in Western Australia, with over 50% of eligible schools across the state currently certified.
Objectives
- Highlight the importance of eating vegetables and fruit and drinking water
- Provide the school community with an easy way to enjoy vegetables and fruit in the classroom
- Encourage students to drink water in the classroom throughout the day, during break times and at sports, excursions and camps
- Improve the nutrition knowledge, attitudes and behaviours amongst parents and community members
- Increase the number of Western Australian primary schools participating in the Crunch&Sip program.
How to join the program
Are you located in Western Australia and want to start Crunch&Sip in your school? Or maybe you are already participating, and it is time to make it official? Follow the simple steps below and sign up today!
If you are interested in becoming a Crunch&Sip school in New South Wales visit: New South Wales Health
Gather support
Ensure there is whole of school support for joining the Crunch&Sip program.
Discuss strategies for implementing Crunch&Sip with staff members and parent committees.
Discuss Crunch&Sip as a regular agenda item at a scheduled school meeting
Develop a Health and Wellbeing committee to oversee.
Nominate a Crunch&Sip Coordinator (or as we like to call them, a Crunch&Sip Champion).
Don't have enough support to certify your school? Try it in a classroom or two, see how here.
Identify strategies
Identify strategies to provide vegetables and/or fruit and water bottles for students who do not have access. Some ideas include:
Nominate funds to purchase vegetables or fruits for students in need.
Seek donations from local businesses.
Access Foodbank WA or other charitable organisations.
Trial it at your school
Inform the school community that you are joining the program.
Distribute Crunch&Sip brochures and parent magnets (order free parent resources here).
Discuss what foods can be packed for Crunch&Sip with parents and students.
Set a time in class for students to eat their veg or fruit.
Trial Crunch&Sip for at least 2 weeks.
Ensure at least 75% of students are participating in Crunch&Sip.
Take the pledge!
Once you have completed the steps 1-3 it’s time to make it official!
Crunch&Sip® helpful hints
Bring it into the classroom first up
When students arrive in the morning, they can bring in their full water bottle and fruit or veg from their bag for the Crunch&Sip break. It will soon become part of the morning routine.
Keep it mess free
While all fresh fruit and veg are great choices as recess and lunch items, not all are suitable for a Crunch&Sip break. Trying to eat a whole orange or mango will get messy. Encourage students to bring easy-to-eat, pre-cut vegetables or fruit. If you are concerned about a particular fruit or vegetable being brought in, you can exclude this food in the Crunch&Sip rules for your individual classroom or school.
Introduce a compost bin
Keep a bucket or bin with a lid for students to add their fruit and veg scraps, then transfer to the school compost bin or worm farm at the end of the school day.
Ideas for scheduling
Have the Crunch&Sip break during lesson transition times, for example, as students come into the class from morning fitness, or between literacy and numeracy lessons.
Use news time, story read alouds or silent reading.
Have a set time for a Crunch&Sip break every day. Some schools allow students 5-10 minutes to use the toilet, stretch and eat their fruit or veg.
No grazing
We strongly discourage students from grazing on fruit and vegetables throughout the day. Not only can this promote unhealthy snacking habits, but many teachers report that it is more disruptive. Kids may choose inappropriate times to eat their fruit and veg and it can mean that more kids do not participate as it is not seen as compulsory. Other students may eat excessive amounts because they see it as a way of avoiding work.
School policy
To provide extra support for the Crunch&Sip program your school may decide to develop a formal Crunch&Sip policy. We have a download with steps to get you started. We also have a sample Crunch&Sip policy available for download.