General healthy eating
Australian Dietary Guidelines – Eat for Health
Provides advice about the amount and kinds of foods that we need to eat for health and wellbeing.
Dietitian Association of Australia
For up to date nutrition information check out the Smart Eating for You section.
Information about the NSW Healthy Eating Active Living Strategy.
A “one stop shop” of current and credible information, resources and support materials about healthy eating and physical activity to support teachers, parents, carers, coaches, health professionals, kids and teens to make healthy choices.
Get Healthy Information & Coaching Service
Free and confidential personal telephone health coaching. There are two streams available – information only or a 6 month coaching program.
This quiz is a general guide, designed to help you rate how healthy your eating habits are. It will help to identify areas in which you are already eating a wide variety of foods and areas where you may be able to improve.
Provides resources and information for health care professionals and people living with diabetes.
Information on a healthy lifestyle to improve heart health.
Healthy recipes and practical cooking resources
This recipe book aims to help you save money and make your food dollar go further. Simple tips on eating well on a budget, stocking your pantry and a variety of easy recipes for meals and snacks. Developed by the Public Health Community Nutrition team, Central Coast Local Health District.
Quick Meals for Kooris resources
This series of resources includes:
- Quick Meals for Kooris at Home A practical food and nutrition book with quick and easy low-cost family recipes and food ideas to help Aboriginal people eat well and cook at home. Can be used as a standalone resource or given to participants attending a practical Quick Meals for Kooris program. Developed by the Public Health Community Nutrition team, Central Coast Local Health District.
- Quick Meals for Kooris – Trainers Manual A leader guide to support the running the of a practical cooking program. Developed by the Public Health Community Nutrition team, Central Coast Local Health District.
- Quick Meals for Kooris recipe demonstration videos Watch how to prepare four of the quick, easy and low-cost recipes from the Quick Meals for Kooris at Home recipe book. This video series was developed by the Health Promotion Unit and Public Health Community Nutrition Team, Central Coast Local Health District.
Healthy Eating Active Living website
Recipes for healthy meals, snacks, lunchboxes and side dishes. Part of a NSW Government website with information on Wellbeing, Healthy Eating and Physical Activity.
No Money No Time recipes
Website provided by the University of Newcastle. Includes healthy easy recipes that are searchable by equipment needed, cost category and main ingredients.
Healthy recipes and selected recipe videos. The Live Lighter program is supported by the Cancer Council WA and the Western Australia Department of Health.
OzHarvest website and programs
- The Fight Food Waste section provides web-based information on food waste in Australia and practical tips for people who would like to reduce food waste at home, including recipe ideas to transform commonly wasted ingredients into meals.
- The OzHarvest FEAST (Food Education and Sustainability Training) program offers training and resources for teachers to implement a curriculum-aligned education program for primary and high schools. The program explores food waste, healthy eating and classroom cooking.
- The OzHarvest NEST (Nutrition Education Skills Training) is a six week program teaching adults about healthy eating and easy, affordable meals. Currently available in Newcastle and Sydney.
OzHarvest is a food rescue organisation that connects charities with surplus food across Australia, including on the Central Coast NSW.
Supermarket shopping
Healthy Choices Supermarket Shopping video
Developed by NSW Health to support health professionals. It includes an introduction and then, from time 01:05 to 9:34 minutes, it shows a virtual supermarket tour which may be useful for working with groups or individuals.
Shop Smart booklet
A booklet about how to save money and eat well with information on healthy eating, food labels, spending your food dollar and marketing tactics. Part of the Live Lighter campaign, a partnership between the Cancer Council WA and the Western Australia Department of Health.
Food safety
Food Safety Basics webpage and videos
Web-based information page that outlines steps to food safety to reduce your risk of foodborne illness. Information is grouped into four themes: keep it clean, keep it separate, cook thoroughly and keep hot food hot. The page also provides links to Food Safety at Home videos on the topics: keep clean, keep separate, cold food cold and leftovers. Content provided by Food Safety Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), an Australian Government Health organisation.
Children to adolescents (0-18 years)
The Raising Children Network provides ad-free parenting videos, articles and apps backed by Australian experts. A drop-down list per age group helps to navigate the site. Nutrition information includes breastfeeding, nutrition for young children, packing lunches, body image and dietary guidelines in pictures, food guides by age group and information to support families, parents and carers.
Early childhood (0-5 years)
A webpage including information and a video on the benefits of breastfeeding, and where to go for more information or support, provided by the Health Promotion Unit, Central Coast Local Health District.
Breastfeeding your baby brochure
A comprehensive brochure to provide information, trouble shooting and further resources on breastfeeding, from NSW Health.
Supporting breastfeeding: grandparents can make a difference brochure
Provides information for grandparents (and support people with a similar role) about breastfeeding and practical ways to support the new mother to establish and continue breastfeeding her baby. Developed by Central Coast Local Health District Maternity Services, Child and Family Health, Nutrition Services, Health Promotion Service and Paediatrics in partnership with the Australian Breastfeeding Association and families of the Central Coast.
Starting Family Foods brochure
General information resource on starting solids. Originally developed by Nutrition Services and Central Coast Kids and Families, Central Coast Local Health District, in partnership with the Australian Breastfeeding Association and mothers of the Central Coast, and now distributed by NSW Health.
Teach your baby to drink from a cup pamphlet
A simple double-sided A4 brochure to encourage timely independent eating and drinking, provided by NSW Health Centre for Oral Health Strategy.
A parent’s guide to eating for under 5s. A comprehensive and very visual resource that covers infant feeding, introducing solids, progressing through solids, as well as what and how to feed your child as they grow. From Department of Health, Tasmania and Lady Gowrie, Tasmania.
Growing Healthy Eaters brochure
A double-sided A4 brochure for parents of young children to help take the stress out of mealtimes as they are learning to eat new foods. Developed by Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District.
The video, from South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, is presented by a Childhood Dietitian. It runs for about 3 minutes and provides tips to create relaxed, happy and healthy mealtimes for parents of young children.
A comprehensive website and parent education program that supports parents to raise children that eat well. Support is also provided by regular social media posts (Facebook and Instagram). Developed by Mid North Coast Local Health District. A parent education program is run within Central Coast Local Health District.
Healthy eating and active play resources for Playgroups
A webpage with links to resources that support healthy eating and active play in playgroup settings. The listed resources support group facilitators with food choices, game ideas, recipes and information sheets to give to parents. Part of the NSW Government Munch and Move program.
School-aged children
Make Their Meals Count (4-8 year olds) pictorial resources and recipe videos
Make Their Meals Count was developed by the Health Promotion Service and Nutrition Services, Central Coast Local Health District. The pictorial resource for families of children aged 4–8 years, uses photos of meals and snacks to show how to feed a child over the day using healthy foods. The photographs are a guide to the type of food you can serve and how much. The food and meals can be eaten by the whole family.
Some of the healthy everyday meals are also featured in a series of recipe videos, complete with downloadable recipe cards.
Patch to Plate (recipes and recipe videos)
Patch to Plate is a free recipe book developed by the Health Promotion Service, Central Coast Local Health District, that includes healthy and simple recipes that local teachers have made with their students using fresh ingredients from their own school gardens. The website link also includes information on kitchen gardens for schools.
Website provided by Cancer Council NSW. Includes the Healthy Lunch Box Builder interactive resource, plus quick & easy healthy lunch box ideas and healthier swap suggestions.
Adolescents and young people
Yhunger resources
Youth-friendly food and physical activity resources (cookbooks, games, fact sheets and checklist). This series of resources includes:
- Factsheet: Healthy Eating Everyday
- Factsheet: Smart Fast Food Choices
- Factsheet: Hunger Busters – snack attack
- Factsheet: Breaking the fast = breakfast
- Recipe books: Reheat Cookbook and Made Fresh Cookbook
The Yhunger program was developed by Sydney Local Health District. More information can be found here.
Older People
Eating Well: A Nutrition Resource for Older People and their Carers
These resources have been written to provide practical food and nutrition advice for older people and the people who provide care for them. The book provides comprehensive information on nutrition, identifying risk of malnutrition, recipes and food ideas. The brochure is a short booklet that covers the important points in a condensed form. Developed by the Public Health Community Nutrition team, Central Coast Local Health District.
Eating for Health and Independence book
A nutrition information and recipe book, written for people who receive delivered or prepared meals to help them eat well and maintain their weight. Developed by the Public Health Community Nutrition team, Central Coast Local Health District.
Eat Well for Life. Nutrition for the well older person book
This book is written for older people who are in good health to provide nutrition information to support healthy ageing. Developed by the Public Health Community Nutrition team, Central Coast Local Health District.
Multicultural Resources
Multicultural Health Communications Service fact sheets
NSW Health factsheets in English and translated into several languages. This series of resources includes:
- Breastfeeding
- Nutrition for kids
- Teach your baby to drink from a cup
- Select healthier snacks
- Choose water as a drink
Healthy eating in Australia, multilingual videos for families
A YouTube playlist of videos from South Western Sydney Local Health District in English, Arabic, Dari, Karen and Tibetan. Topics include planning healthy meals, shopping for healthy foods in Australia, lunches, healthy family routines and keeping food safe.
Food Relief
Central Coast Crisis Relief Card- North
List of local services by region that offer emergency food relief such as food parcels, vouchers and meals. You can request hard copies of the cards here.
Central Coast Crisis Relief Card- South
List of local services by region that offer emergency food relief such as food parcels, vouchers and meals. You can request hard copies of the cards here.
Health Related Organisations
Provides resources and information for health care professionals and people living with diabetes.
Information on a healthy lifestyle to improve heart health.