SWIMMING and fast food aren’t a good match, so Warrnambool’s AquaZone aquatic and fitness centre has changed its poolside cafe menu with traffic light colour coding to encourage healthier diets.
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Food and drinks have been categorised into red, orange and green with high-sugar and high-calorie foods in the red zone, healthier foods in green and mid-range products in orange.
Red options have been reduced from 62 per cent of the menu to 30 per cent.
Clients will also be offered smaller servings of red-category foods including the traditional hot chips as well as healthier cooking options including steaming and oven baking instead of frying.
The new-look menu which started this week will be trialled for three months and given the taste test by Olympians including James Magnussen at AquaZone’s 10th anniversary celebrations this Saturday.
“We would be one of the first aquatic and fitness centres in Victoria to trial this system,” AquaZone service manager Ray Smith said.
“It’s not about getting rid of all the unhealthy fries, but trying to get the balance right with more options including fresh fruit, more sandwiches, rolls and wraps. Even the muffins come in smaller sizes.
“We’ve also brought the price down on healthy food.”
It follows a customer survey which revealed 92 per cent of respondents wanted healthier options and 96 per cent would buy healthier food if it was available.
“The survey made it very clear that our customers wanted change and we have worked closely with council’s dietitian to choose the right options,” he said.
“We encourage everyone to try out the new healthy menu and give us their feedback as we continue to work on it during the next few months.”
The open day on Saturday has free entry from 10am to 2pm.
pcollins@standard.fairfax.com.au
