Perfectly healthy, by choice

SEVERAL City of Casey food retailers have made the right choice when it comes to healthy eating.
Nine food premises in Casey and two in the Shire of Cardinia received the 2007 Choosing Healthier Options in Casey and Cardinia Eateries (CHOICE) award.
The City of Casey launched the program in 2005, and last year, Cardinia joined forces to establish the program across both municipalities under the Sprouting New Ideas initiative funded by VicHealth.
Casey mayor Colin Butler and Shire of Cardinia councillor Brett Owen presented the awards at Casey’s Council Chambers and extended their congratulations to the winning food outlets.
“Achieving a CHOICE Award is a great credit to these local food outlets that are showing the community they care about providing healthy and affordable food choices for the whole family,” Cr Butler said.
“Council is committed to promoting healthy lifestyles in the community and the CHOICE Awards is one way of encouraging this. I also encourage Casey residents to visit the award winning eateries and consider choosing healthier options when ordering meals.”
Local restaurants, hotels, cafes, bistros, takeaway and sandwich shops interested in taking part in the healthy food program were encouraged to apply for accreditation under the CHOICE Awards.
“The award recipients have all passed the key criterion which include safe food handling and hygiene, nutrition, and affordability of healthy foods,” he said.
All participating food premises underwent a thorough assessment conducted by Cardinia Shire and City of Casey environmental health officers and an accredited practising dietician from the Cardinia-Casey Community Health Service.