The club toolkit
A practical guide to help sporting clubs create healthier food and drink environments that support players, families and club success.
What is A Better Choice
A Better Choice is a simple framework to help sporting clubs and facilities provide healthier food and drink options at your canteen. No matter what the venue size.
Small changes to your canteen, kiosk or events can support the health and wellbeing of players, volunteers and families, while still working for your club.
Does this sound important to you?
Let’s take a look at the benefits your club can gain from promoting healthier food and drinks.
Why does it matter?
Selling and promoting more healthy food and drinks can help your club:
- Support better player performance and recovery
- Create a positive environment for families and volunteers by boosting their health and wellbeing
- Keep your club financially sustainable and increase profit
Convinced? Let’s get you started on the journey to a healthier club in a few easy steps.
Step 1
Look at your offering
Take a quick look at what food and drinks you already offer at your club.
Ask yourself:
- Is water easy to find?
- Do we already have some healthy options available?
- Are healthy options visible/easy to spot?
- What sells well?
- Is there one thing we could improve?
You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight — even one small change is a great place to start.
Step 2
Plan some simple changes
Drinks
Put water at eye level in the fridge
Clearly signpost water refill stations
Make water the cheapest drink option
If you have meal deals, set water as the default drink
Snacks
Move healthier snacks closer to Point-Of-Sale on the counter
Add fruit, popcorn or wholegrain options
Bundle snacks with water
Meals
Add one healthier meal option
Trial a healthy special on game day
Use fun names like "Game Day Fuel Wrap" or "Player's Pick"
Promotion
Put healthy options at the top of the menu
Use posters and social media to promote healthier options on the menu
Encourage coaches and volunteers to support healthy habits by encouraging fueling up after practice and events with water and healthy food options
Helpful resources
- Use our quick reference checklist to find easy changes that suit your clubs set up
- Healthier drinks, snacks and meals
- Food display and promotion tips
- Help players fuel right
- See how others have made small changes and won big by checking out our case studies
Healthy options can be leveraged to increase profits
Healthy options can be good for your players and your bottom line — it doesn’t have to be one or the other.
Game Day Fuel Wrap
Cost to make: $3.20
Sell price: $7
Gross margin: $3.80
Sales in a day: 40
Daily profit: $152
Meat Pie
Cost to buy: $3
Sell price: $5
Gross margin: $2
Sales in a day: 40
Daily profit: $80
Unseen = unsold! Make it stand out.
Check out how The Queensland Tuckshop Turnaround Project showed that simple changes can support healthier menus while improving sales and long-term profitability.
Step 3
Check in and review
Ask
What worked well?
What did players and families enjoy?
Which items sold best?
What could we improve next time?
You could:
Keep the changes that worked
Try another simple strategy next season
Add one new healthy option
Share successes with volunteers and committee members
Small, consistent changes add up over time.
What does success look like?
You don’t have to do it all at once to start seeing success. Here are a few examples:
- Water is easy to access
- Healthy options are visible and appealing
- Families can easily choose healthier food and drinks
- Healthy options are promoted at your club
- Players, volunteers and supporters feel supported
Start small, build on what works, and create a healthier club environment for everyone.
Some simple ways to measure success
Water sales increase by 5 bottles each game day
Soft drink sales decrease over the season
A healthy meal deal or special sells well on game day or during finals
Families give positive feedback about healthier options available
Quick reference checklist
Choose your provision type and then choose your action level
Start small
Strengthen
Sustain
Drinks only / no food
Healthy drinks
Place water at eye level in tubs or fridges
Promote “Water First” in team communications
Make water the cheapest and most visible drink
Healthy snacks
Encourage families to bring fruit for training or game day snacks
Share simple healthier snack ideas in team messages or on social media
Include simple half-time and post-game snack tips in regular club communications
Healthy meals
Share a simple Game Day Fuel tip with families and players
Include meal ideas in registration packs
Include simple game day food tips in the club handbook or regular communications
Beyond the menu
Recognise teams or players with certificates instead of food rewards
Try one non-food fundraiser
Plan one or two non-food fundraising activities for the year
Volunteer-run canteen / basic setup
Healthy drinks
Move water to the front of the fridge
Include water in meal deals
Price water the same as, or lower than, sugary drinks
Healthy snacks
Add one clearly labelled Healthier snack
Place healthier snacks at eye level
Add one new healthier snack option over time, such as fruit, popcorn or a wholegrain option
Healthy meals
Swap white bread for wholemeal
Add vegetables or salad to an existing menu item
Offer 2 or more healthier meal options
Beyond the menu
Try a non-food reward
Use merchandise, club gear or vouchers as prizes
Try healthier or non-food fundraising ideas
Full kitchen club
Healthy drinks
Make sure water is the first item seen in the fridge
Make water the default in combo deals
Add signage to help healthy options stand out
Healthy snacks
Introduce fresh fruit cups
Highlight healthier snacks on the menu board or near the counter
Review snack sales and increase healthier options over time
Healthy meals
Add one healthier cooked meal to the menu
Add two healthier meals and make them easy to spot on the menu
Work towards making around 30% of meals healthier options over time
Beyond the menu
Try a non-food reward
Partner with a local business to offer non-food prizes or rewards
Include healthy fundraising in club planning
External vendors / food trucks
Healthy drinks
Ask vendors to keep water at the front of the fridge
Ask vendors to keep water competitively priced
Include healthy drink expectations in vendor agreements, such as limiting sugary drinks
Healthy snacks
Ask for at least one healthier snack option
Highlight healthy vendors in event marketing
Give preference to vendors with a good range of healthier items
Healthy meals
Ask vendors to offer one healthier meal option
Review menus before events
Set simple goals with vendors to increase healthier options over time
Beyond the menu
Promote fresh-food vendors
Offer better stall placement to vendors with healthier options
Keep a list of vendors that offer healthier choices for future events
No canteen / families bring food
Healthy drinks
Set up a visible hydration station
Send “Bring Your Bottle” reminders
Use “Water First” messages in club communications
Healthy snacks
Encourage a team fruit rotation for half-time
Share healthy snack ideas on social media
Include simple snack ideas on the club website or in team communications
Healthy meals
Share Game Day fuel tips
Share healthy recipes for game day fuel
Include simple game day food tips in the club handbook or regular communications
Carnivals / large events
Healthy drinks
Nominate someone to keep an eye on water access
Set up refill stations in busy areas
Include Water First in the event planning checklist
Healthy snacks
Make sure fruit is available in at least one outlet
Position healthier snacks at all outlets
Increase healthier snack options over time
Healthy meals
Include one promoted healthier meal per vendor
Create a “Fuel Your Game” menu section
Set simple goals each year to increase healthier options
Beyond the menu
Promote healthy options before the event
Highlight healthy vendors in announcements and event promotion
Share what worked well after the event and use it to plan next time
Facility cafe / permanent venue
Healthy drinks
Position water at eye level
Make water the default in meal bundles
Increase fridge space for water and healthier drink options
Healthy snacks
Create a clearly labelled healthy snack section
Improve how healthier snacks are displayed near the counter or in fridges
Review the snack mix regularly and add more healthy options over time
Healthy meals
Introduce one promoted healthier meal special
Give one popular item a healthier twist
Work towards making around 30% of meals healthier options over time
Beyond the menu
Try healthy food-based rewards from the venue menu
Review the menu and look for ways to add more healthier options
Include these healthier choices in regular purchasing or procurement processes
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