Healthy Catering Guide 2026 (A4) - Flipbook - Page 3
About this guide
The Greater Bendigo Healthy Catering Guide was developed
in 2021 as a collaboration between City of Greater Bendigo
(CoGB) and Bendigo Community Health Services (BCHS).
BCHS is now leading this work and has brought this updated
version to our community. This resource will be updated
yearly to ensure the information is up to date. The most
current version can be found on our website at bchs.com.au
under our resources tab.
Through applying a size-inclusive health promotion lens, this
guide seeks to:
support settings such as workplaces to align with their
healthy eating policies;
assist workplaces to order healthy catering options for
their staff;
contribute to the Catering for Good Directory to
specifically represent and profile local catering companies
statewide from Bendigo, Heathcote, Elmore and other
small towns throughout the region; and
create local alignment with the Victorian Government's
Healthy Choices initiative.
Why apply a size-inclusive health lens?
Recent data shows that approximately 60 per cent of adults
in Greater Bendigo live in larger bodies. While this is a factor
in the conversation about preventable chronic disease, we
acknowledge that dietary factors alone are not responsible
for a persons body size. In line with this, this guide aims to
ensure the people of Greater Bendigo have equitable access
to nutritious food, free from shame, stigma and judgement. A
size-inclusive approach doesn’t moralise food choices,
promote diet culture, or food shame.
This guide aligns with a variety of existing guidelines and
frameworks, including:
Victorian Government’s Healthy Choices Guidelines
Community Health - Health Promotion Program
Guidelines (2025-2029)
Greater Bendigo Food System Strategy 2020-2030
Towards Size Inclusive Health Promotion (2023).
Greater Bendigo Healthy Catering Guide | 3
