How modern menus are taking over school canteens at Sydney schools

Gone are the days of meat pies and hot dogs — today’s school generation is all about salad bowls, smashed avo and gluten-free meals as parents ditch the humble sandwich. SEE HOW TUCK-SHOP MENUS HAVE CHANGED SINCE 1975.

Long gone are the days when lunch at school was a pie and sauce, washed down by a melting Sunny Boy with a cream bun for dessert — healthy not so much.

Or if it was a sandwich, it was likely to be filled with devon or plastic cheese or canned spaghetti — tasty not so much.

Today in the playground when the lunch bell rings it’s all about salad bowls, smashed avo and gluten-free meals.

Even the humble sandwich is being ditched by parents.

And with students heading back to school this week, parents can expect to see increased gluten- and dairy-free options, low-fat hot dogs, coconut water or a healthy bliss ball.

Karina Savage, Paediatric Dietitian from Smartbite Nutrition, said as parents get busier and become more time poor, canteen food often became the easiest option.

“We live in a day and age where parents are busy and they tend to rely on tuck shops even for a pre breakfast snack,” Ms Savage said.

Skye Fletcher loves taking watermelon to school for lunch. Picture: Nathan Edwards

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“I have seen children have a choc chip muffin before school starts but that’s available and they can get it if they want. This is the reality we live in.”

Neutral Bay Public School offers a ‘High Tea’ option which includes Philadelphia cheese, cucumber and carrot sandwiches for a reasonably priced $3.40 and for an almost hipster option ‘The Turkey Way’ which includes smashed avo coming in at just under $5.

A Mediterranean flavour is also creeping into menus offering students falafel wraps, tabouli, shawarma and even chicken kebab burgers at the Maronite College of the Holy Family in Harris Park.

The good old Aussie Vegemite sandwich can still be found at most canteens but at a different cost with Clovelly Public School charging $1 for their ‘famous crusty Vegemite with melted cheese’ leaving their neighbours Bondi Public School charging one of the highest at $3.50.

Pymble Public School is stocking dairy free muffins for a cheap dollar with arancini and chicken kebab also on the menu.

School canteens: What’s on the menu

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Kent Road Public School is offering a cafe-style canteen menu which includes vegetarian burgers that come with a potato or lentil patty, lettuce, tomato and a dash of mayo.

You might event want to add a refreshing coconut water or soy milk with the meal while gluten intolerant kids can dig into a twista bolognese or a halal pie.

Over at St Finbarr’s Primary School in Byron Bay a gourmet Mexican bean pie or their gluten- and dairy-free steak pie can cost you nearly $6.

But if you’re looking for a more green option their standard salad sandwich is $5 and adding a protein will cost an extra dollar.

Toasting it also comes with a 50 cent price tag.

A copy of the Berala school canteen menu from 1974Picture: Jeff Lea / Facebook

One in four Australian children are now overweight or obese with the Premier aiming to reduce childhood overweight and obesity by 5 per cent by 2025 through the new canteen menus.

But if you were a kid in the ’70s chances are you were in sweet heaven with lamingtons, finger buns and chocolate eclairs just some of the sugary and cheap items on the menu.

A meat pie sold for 36 cents versus the now $2 price tag and a hot dog a very specific 32 cents.

Mum-of-three Amanda Fletcher, she said the school canteen at Hastings Public School in Port Macquarie was perfect for getting Angus, 10, Skye, 8, and Zoe, 5, a healthy treat.

Originally published as How modern menus are taking over school canteens at Sydney schools