169: How to Create an Additive-Free School Canteen

In this week’s episode of The Whole Circle Podcast we talk to Nikki Cassar about how to create an additive-free school canteen.

In our eyes, Nikki is a superstar! She saw that the canteen at her children’s school wasn’t additive-free so she just couldn’t allow her kids to get food from there.

Fast forward to when a position became available to work in the school canteen and in her interview, she stipulated that she would only take on the role if the school allowed her to make the canteen completely additive-free!

Needless to say, she got the position and she has gone onto overhaul the whole school canteen to be fully additive-free!

Seriously… how AWESOME is she?!

Tthe canteen is not just additive-free, they also use organic or chemical free produce wherever possible which they source from a farm 15 minutes away from the school as well as they use their own school garden for produce or source locally where they can. They use very little plastic.

Topics covered:

1. How did the change come about?


2. What started Nikki’s journey of living additive-free?


3. What was the school’s reaction to Nikki wanting to overhaul the canteen?


4. Was the school supportive of the change?


5. Did Nikki encounter any objections from parents?


6. Kids in the kitchen


7. What difference have the teachers noticed in the children?


8. Food transparency


9. NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy

If you want to check out what they have to offer, head on over to their Facebook page at Black Swan Café Canteen.

Nikki is also a member of our chat group and puts up posts now and then about what food she is serving in the canteen. Check it out by joining our Additive-Free Lifestyle Chat Group.

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