Essentials shopping list

In addition to stocking your fridges and pantry with Everyday food such as vegetables, legumes, fruit, bread, pasta, rice, lean meats, fish, chicken and dairy food, you can use these pantry and fridge items in your preparation and cooking to make healthy Everyday meals and snacks.

Everyday food/drink item + Ingredient(s) from Essentials shopping list = Everyday meal or food/drink

Table showing food types to buy and avoid

✓ Buy	X  Avoid
Healthy oils e.g. canola, sunflower, olive, grapeseed, corn and soybean.	Palm, coconut, palm kernel oils including solid coconut oil for baking and any animal fats such as lard or duck fat.
Spreads, Salad dressing and mayonnaise Margarine Yeast spreads and vegetable extracts* Jam/marmalade/honey/golden syrup Red, white and balsamic vinegar Lemon or lime juice Salad dressings* made from oils listed above e.g. French, mayonnaise, aioli, ranch and Caesar dressing	Dressings containing cheese or cream Butter Chocolate nut spread
Pastry Pastry (puff, shortcrust, filo) - look for packaged products that have a Health Star Rating (HSR) of 3.5 or above. Filo to be prepared with only small amounts of oil listed above.	All other pastry
Herbs, spices and seasoning Fresh and dried herbs and spices Curry powder and pastes Reduced-salt seasoning packets, e.g. taco seasoning	Salt (Himalayan, rock, table, sea, chicken, popcorn) All other seasonings
Stock No-added salt or reduced salt stock or soup base	All other stocks
Dairy food and dairy alternatives Milk, including milk alternatives with added calcium, such as soy or rice milks (preferably reduced fat) Cheese, including cottage and cream cheese, preferably reduced fat Yoghurts with no added confectionery (preferably reduced fat)	Butter (including lemon, garlic and dairy blends) Cream or sour cream Milk alternatives with no added calcium such as soy or rice milks
Condiments, sauces and marinades Recipe bases/cooking sauces - look for packaged products that have an HSR of 3.5 stars or above - prepare as per instructions on the pack. Tomato paste Tomato and other table sauces, e.g. BBQ, sweet chilli, fish, soy, sauce and gravies (use salt-reduced where available) Vinegar (distilled, rice, cider, balsamic) Reduced-fat/light coconut cream and coconut milk	Sauces made with cream or butter Regular coconut milk and coconut cream
Baking products Sugar (brown, caster or raw; single-serve packs for beverages), honey and syrups, e.g. maple and golden syrups. Limit use in canteen-made recipes. Desiccated coconut (in small amounts) Baking powder or bicarb soda Milk flavourings, syrups and powder - look for packaged products with HSR of 3.5 stars of above (up to 1 tablespoon per portion) Cocoa Vanilla essence Yeast, instant dried Breadcrumbs Flour (preferably wholemeal) Pancake and pikelet mix Eggs Food colour Gelatine, agar	Confectionery, e.g. hundreds and thousands, chocolate chips, icing.
Flavourings Milk flavourings, powder and syrups - use in small amounts (drinks should have less than 1 level tablespoon per portion)

* Use in small amounts, lightly spread or use individual portion packs

• See Healthy recipe ideas for healthy recipe suggestions.
• Print out planogram - Green your menu with Everyday ideas (PDF 5355.35KB)

Ingredients used in the "Avoid' column should not be used in your school canteen.

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