Cafes test new system for healthy food
A new labelling system being trialled in cafes throughout Invercargill will help diners make healthier choices.
Healthy Families Invercargill is hoping the Healthier Choice initiative will help those who are looking to make healthy choices, especially when they are in a rush.
The concept involves a simple labelling system that indicates the healthier choices on a menu or in a display, and is being trialled at 11 cafes throughout the city.
One of the cafes involved in the initiative is Good Fix Cafe´.
Good Fix Manager Harry Moss said the initiative suited its focus on providing healthy, innovative meals perfectly.
‘‘People always perceive healthy food as being difficult, boring, or tasteless, and it doesn’t have to be.’’
Anything that made it easier for people to make the right food choice was an initiative worth supporting, Moss said.
‘‘It’s about making it easy for the customer. Eating healthier doesn’t have to be difficult, it’s all there in front of you,’’ he said.
The cafe has even made some changes to the classics like bacon and egg pie in order to bring a bit more of a healthy angle to it.
‘‘Of course, it still has bacon and egg, but that’s your protein, isn’t it,’’ Moss said.
The cafe even did lunch deliveries to take as much of the effort as possible out of eating something healthy, he said.
‘‘The excuses for just quickly grabbing a packet of chips just falls away,’’ he said.
Healthy Families Invercargill manager Jared Cappie said the strength of the concept was that it was being done in collaboration with cafes.
‘‘It’s such a simple message, but so easy to implement, and it is great that cafe´ owners and managers can really take ownership of it all.,’’ he said.
Communications and engagement adviser Cassandra Pokoney said the concept was about empowering cafes.
‘‘It’s saying ‘you’re in my cafe´, here is the healthier options you can choose’,’’ Pokoney said.