Assess a retail outlet menu, catering menu or vending machine

How to:

• Use FoodChecker
• Assess a long day care menu
• Assess a school canteen menu
• Assess a retail outlet menu, catering menu or vending machine
• Assess recipes
• Search and assess products
• Make changes and reassess

Use FoodChecker to assess and plan healthier menus and vending machines that meet the Victorian Government’s Healthy Choices guidelines, or the A Better Choice – Healthy Food and Drink Supply Strategy for Queensland Health Facilities.

After entering all of the foods and drinks in the menu or vending machine you will get a summary of your results on screen, plus a detailed PDF report that you can download and save. Your report will contain feedback on where you're doing well, and it includes recommendations for healthy changes.

We recommend that you learn more about these guidelines before using FoodChecker.

Skip to instructions.

Healthy Choices guidelines (Victoria)

The Healthy Choices guidelines classify foods and drinks based on their nutritional content:

• GREEN (Best choice)
• AMBER (Choose carefully)
• RED (Limit) 

In general, the Healthy Choices guidelines require the following:

• Retail outlets and vending machines: At least 50% of the foods and drinks available must be from the GREEN category, and less than 20% of them can be RED .
• Catering in the workplace: Only GREEN and AMBER items should be provided and no RED items.
  
  

Healthy choices: policy directive for Victorian public health services

The Healthy choices: policy directive for Victorian public health services contains mandatory requirements for the foods and drinks supplied to staff and visitors in public hospitals and health services:

• At least 50% of the food available or displayed must be GREEN and no more than 20% can be RED. (No RED food to be provided in catering)
• There is no sale of sugary (or RED category) drinks.
• At least 50% of the drinks available or displayed must be GREEN. And no more than 20% of drinks available or displayed can contain artificial or intense sweetener (AMBER).
• RED food and drinks cannot be promoted/advertised.

You can learn more about the Healthy Choices guidelines here.

A Better Choice (Queensland)

The A Better Choice – Healthy Food and Drink Supply Strategy for Queensland Health Facilities uses a traffic light system to classify food and drinks as:

• GREEN (choose mostly)
• AMBER (choose carefully)
• RED (choose rarely)

The following targets apply for retail food outlets and vending machines in public hospitals and health services:

 
You can learn more about A Better Choice here.

Instructions

Before you begin an assessment, we suggest you have the following:

• All recipes written down with the ingredient names, types and quantities. 
• The names and nutrition information for any packaged products that you use or offer for sale.

Start new assessment

1. Sign in
2. Click START NEW ASSESSMENT.
3. Select the organisation type you want to assess.
4. Select menu or vending assessment.
5. Select an organisation to assess and confirm the details.
6. Enter a name for the menu, and answer any other questions on screen, then click START ASSESSMENT.

To enter recipes and individual items

1. Click ADD A RECIPE
2. Select the menu section.
3. Enter the recipe or item name such as “Chicken stir fry” or “Apples”.
4. Enter the number of serves, and answer any questions on screen.
5. Start typing the first ingredient. A list of matching options will appear. Click on the option that best matches your ingredient. You can type a little or lot of the name. For example, “chick”, “chicken”, “thigh” or “chicken thigh”.
6. Enter the amount and unit of measurement.
   For example, for 500g type “500”, then select “Grams” from the list. For a 6 apples type “6”, then select “Whole” from the list.
7. To add another ingredient, click ADD MORE INGREDIENTS and repeat the steps above.
   NOTE: Include all condiments, seasoning or finishes used in the recipe, including salt, sugar and oils/butter.
   
   TIP: Click SAVE TO RECIPE BANK to store this recipe/item.
   
   
8. Once you have entered all the ingredients, click ADD TO ASSESSMENT.

To add a saved recipe or common recipes

1. Click COMMON RECIPES or MY RECIPE BANK.
2. Search the list for the recipe you want, then click ADD.
3. A recipe will appear and you can edit the name, serves, ingredients or quantities.
4. Click ADD TO ASSESSMENT when finished.

To add branded products

1. Click ADD A PRODUCT
2. Start typing the name of the item. You could enter the brand name, the product name, or the flavour.
   For example, if the ingredient is ‘Sample Brand strawberry muesli bar’, you could type any combination of “Sample”, “Brand”, “muesli bar” or “strawberry”.
3. A list of matching options will appear. Find your product in the list and click ADD. 
   
   If you can’t find your product, click ASSESS NEW PRODUCT.
   a) Select the category.
   b) Enter the product name. 
   c) Answer the questions on screen using the nutrition information and other information on the packaging. The questions will change depending on what category you have selected.
   
   TIP: Click SAVE PRODUCT to use it in future assessments.
   
   
4. When you have finished, click ADD TO ASSESSMENT.

Using a saved product

1. Click ADD A PRODUCT, and select the category
2. Click the SAVED PRODUCTS tab, and find the item you want from the list, then click ADD.

To finish assessment

1. When you have finished entering recipes and products to the menu, click NEXT or FINISH ASSESSMENT.
2. (If relevant, answer any question on the next page, then click FINISH ASSESSMENT.)
3. Your results summary will appear on screen. 
4. Click SAVE ASSESSMENT AS PDF to view the details results and save a copy of this report.