Healthy choice: the easy choice

Use nudges that work, such as ‘red drinks off display’ or ‘limit red drinks’ in canteen fridges

These planograms provide examples of how best to stock fridges to implement the 'red drinks off display' and ‘limit red drinks’ nudge in double fridges behind the counter.

For more examples and information about implementing a nudge go to ‘Resources'  on this page.

Follow the Healthy Choices: policy guidelines for sport and recreation centres to classify food and drink into red, amber and green correctly.

Appoint and work in partnership with key influencers as champions (e.g. coaches, parents, canteen managers, administrators) to help drive the changes and communicate them to your community. 

Start small and build on changes over time.

Evaluate how the changes have impacted your organisation and people’s behaviour (e.g. retail profits, healthy food and drink purchasing, resources required, acceptability among the community), adapt where required (i.e. change something that’s not working or take on an extra change where you are happy with the progress) and continue.

There's some easy steps you can take at your sporting organisation to help more people choose healthier food and drink options.

Step 1 – Plan your approach

Step 2 – Gain support

Step 3 – Play to your strengths

Step 4 – Involve and educate key influencers

Step 5 – Make a healthy change

Step 6 – Evaluate

Step 7 – Embed the healthy change 

To find out more see ‘Healthy food and drink choices in community sport’. This report summarises some of the evaluation results from VicHealth’s healthy food and drink nudge work with sports, and discusses the key learnings

See our community sport case studies below to learn how different organisations around Victoria have made simple changes to promote healthier food and drink choices.

Geelong Central Netball Club took all ‘red’ drinks off display so that only water was visible in the fridge. A range of healthier food options were also introduced into the canteen. The change made no significant difference to the canteen revenue and feedback from parents has been very positive.”
Download: Geelong Central Netball Club case study

Gippsland Regional Sports Complex displayed only water and 100 per cent juice on one side of a two-door fridge while sugary drinks were taken off display, hidden on the other side behind posters promoting water. The nudge was very successful: sales of ‘green’ drinks increased while sales of ‘amber’ drinks reduced without impacting revenue.
Download: Gippsland Regional Sports Complex case study

Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre removed all red drink items from display and food items were labelled as red, amber or green. The results were incredibly positive: sales revenue increased, water sales increased and more people were observed eating in the café.”
Download: Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre case study

Greater Shepparton City Council increased the promotion and sale of water at their KidsTown venue with a successful nudge campaign, which involved reorganising fridges to take majority of red drinks off display. In this video, community stakeholders from council through to consumers talk about the impact of the changes.

Watch: Greater Shepparton City Council KidsTown case study
 

While not considered a nudge as such, Football Federation Victoria worked with Glen Eira Football Club to remove ‘red’ drinks from sale. During the trial period the club canteen sold only water, tea, coffee, hot chocolate and diet cola. This strategy was successful in reducing red drink sales and increasing green drinks without impacting on revenue.

Download: Football Federation Victoria case study

Using an educational nudge, AFL Victoria delivered a nutrition module at Junior Level One Coach Education courses. The course was designed to increase understanding of the nutrition requirements of junior footballers, and increase confidence among coaches who advise young footballers on best nutrition practices. This was backed up by simple messaging, fact sheets, two videos and newsletters.

Download: AFL Victoria case study

Netball Victoria introduced the provision of healthy snacks at the beginning of five NetSetGo programs in Victoria. This educational nudge was a great success because young players were educated about the reasons for healthy snacks and parents no longer needed to supply a snack, which was often a ‘red’ item due to lack of time between school pick up and netball drop off.

Watch: Netball Victoria case study

Basketball Victoria set up a showcase of healthy products at the Basketball Managers’ Trade and Convention Show in a ‘model’ canteen fitted out with typical shelves and fridges. This educational nudge was successful in inspiring basketball association managers who attended to make changes in their canteens.

Download: Basketball Victoria case study

Following VicHealth’s nudge trials across the sports sector, we now have a better understanding of what works. These resources have been developed to guide the implementation of the ‘nudge’ technique to encourage consumers to make healthier drink choices, by changing the placement, product, and promotion of healthier drinks in preference to unhealthy sugary drink options. For example, sugary drinks are not visible in a drinks fridge.

Download: How to Limit Red Drinks Nudge

Download: Red Drinks off Display Nudge

Download: Nudge Data Collection Process

Across Victoria organisations have been making the change to increase availability and accessibility of healthier food and drink options and decrease availability and accessibility of less healthy food and drink options. VicHealth partnered with some of these leading organisations and Deakin University, to build the business case for the economic and health costs and benefits of implementing healthy food and drink policies in healthcare settings (Alfred Health) and sport and recreation facilities (YMCA Victoria, City of Melbourne & Melton City Council).

These evaluation summaries and infographics tell the stories of the impacts of implementing healthy food and drink choices from the perspective of the retailer, and provide recommendations for other organisations planning on undertaking similar policy changes in their settings.

Healthy Choices at Alfred Health

“Alfred Health introduced a healthy food and beverage policy in 2012, at three hospitals in south east Melbourne. They made changes in retail food outlets, vending machines and catering, to provide a greater range of healthy food and drink options using the traffic light classification system.  Alfred Health’s largest retail food outlet was the focus of this research, which uncovers the impacts, challenges and recommendations for success when introducing healthier food and beverage options in similar settings.”

Download: Alfred Health evaluation summary 

Download: Alfred Health evaluation infographic

Going soft drink free at YMCA Victoria aquatic and recreation centres

In 2014 YMCA Victoria initiated the ‘Soft Drink Free Summer’ campaign, which aimed to phase out regular soft drinks from all centres by December 2015. This research discusses the impact of this campaign, including the extent of implementation, change in customer drink purchases, potential financial impact and the customer response to the changes at several YMCA Victoria centres.

Download: YMCA Victoria evaluation summary

Download: YMCA Victoria evaluation infographic

Download: YMCA customer response evaluation infographic

City of Melbourne increases healthier choices at North Melbourne Recreation Centre

Following the development of its ‘Green Light Eat Right’ healthy food and drink policy in 2008, City of Melbourne began implementing the policy in North Melbourne Recreation Centre’s seasonal café in 2010. Evaluating the impact of these changes from the perspective of the retailer, this research summary outlines a number of useful recommendations for organisations planning to undertake similar policy changes to promote healthier choices.

Download: City of Melbourne evaluation summary

Download: City of Melbourne evaluation infographic 

Melton City Council takes action on sugary drinks in sporting facilities

“Recent health statistics raised concerns for Melton City about diet behaviours in the community. As a result, the council took action to decrease the availability of unhealthy sugary drinks, and increase the availability of healthier drinks in their sporting facilities. This infographic summarises the key health impacts and learnings from the perspective of the retailer.”

Download: Melton City Council evaluation infographic

At VicHealth, we're working hard to help more Victorians eat healthily. See our projects for more information: 

• Water Initiative
• Regional Sport Program
• State Sport Program
• Water in junior sport factsheet
• Provision of drinking water fountains in public areas: A local government action guide

• The Victorian Government has developed the Healthy Choices framework for community settings, such as hospitals and health services and sport and recreation centres, to improve the availability and promotion of healthy foods and drinks. Click here to view.
• The Healthy Eating Advisory Service website includes a range of resources, including online training and menu assessments, to help you implement the Healthy Choices guidelines. The website also includes more great case studies about what a range of organisations are doing to promote healthier food and drink choices.
• If you are working at a Victorian hospital, health service or sport and recreation centre implementing Healthy Choices, you may also wish to speak to an experienced nutritionist or dietitian at the Healthy Eating Advisory Service on 1300 22 52 88. 
• For more resources and information about how to support sport organisations to create welcoming and healthy environments, including healthy food and drink choices, visit: https://vicsport.com.au/healthy-welcoming-sport
• For more information on implementing healthy choices, including promoting water and reducing sugary drinks, visit the Rethink Sugary Drink website.
• For more information about healthy choices at Alfred Health visit: https://www.alfredhealth.org.au/news/reducing-the-appeal-of-sugar-sweetened-drinks/
• For more information about healthy choices at City of Melbourne and the ‘Green Light Eat Right Program’ visit: https://heas.health.vic.gov.au/healthy-choices/case-studies/city-melbourne