The Minister for Health and Wellbeing has announced that more than 30 local businesses have signed up to ACT Health’s Healthier Choices Canberra initiative, aimed at making it easier for the community to find tasty, fresh and healthier food and drink options.
The initiative covers club restaurants, cafes, supermarkets and entertainment venues.
The Minister, Meegan Fitzharris, said Healthier Choices Canberra was part of a commitment to reducing rates of preventable chronic disease and promoting wellbeing in the ACT community.
“Eating a variety of healthy foods is essential for good health and helps prevent disease,” Ms Fitzharris said.
“When you’re grocery shopping or enjoying time with the kids at a play centre it can be hard to know what the healthier food and drinks are.”
She said research showed that eating out was a big source of food purchases “so it’s great to see so many club restaurants and cafes are on board, offering new options on their menus”.
“Many of these participating businesses already have a range of healthier food and drink choices available. Healthier Choices Canberra will increase those options and make it easier for customers to spot them,” Ms Fitzharris said.
She said the campaign had a particular emphasis on improving health and wellbeing outcomes for children.
“If children don’t make healthy eating choices now, they are at increased risk of developing serious health conditions as an adult,” the Minister said.
“The best message we can give our kids – and ourselves – is to eat more vegies.”
She said businesses taking part in Healthier Choices Canberra were provided with promotional materials to help point customers to the healthier options.
“This is just the beginning and I am confident many more businesses will come on board in the coming months,” Ms Fitzharris said.
Details of initiative, including which businesses are participating in the scheme, can be accessed at this PS News link.
