EIT cookery tutor Korey Field congratulated Team Tamatea Intermediate on winning the third prize.

EIT hosted the annual Healthy Lunch Box Competition for Intermediate Schools organised by the Life Education Trust as part of their Life Education Programme. The challenge for the eight teams of four was to create their own menus and prepare the lunch boxes.

EIT chef tutor Korey Field alongside his cookery students assisted with the preparation of healthy lunch options like fruit skewers, noodle salad, bliss balls and fresh spring rolls and hummus.

The EIT team then judged the teams on their lunch boxes’ nutritional value, their action plan, teamwork, hygiene, and presentation and taste.

It was the fourth edition of the event and the third one held at EIT. “A new addition to this years’ competition was a food sensory competition where each team member had to smell, touch or taste eight mystery foods to receive bonus points. The entrants were very brave in tasting mystery food items such as mushrooms and beetroot,” said trustee Angela Williams.

The Life Education programme aims to help children make good choices on issues that affect their future health and wellbeing. These include obesity, substance use, mental health and bullying. “The healthy lunchbox competition arose from ‘doing is learning’ approach adopted by the trustees. The students really get into the programme and the results are awesome,” said EIT tutor and trustee Brian McLay.

The winning team came from Taradale Intermediate, Team Havelock North Intermediate finished runner-up and Team Tamatea Intermediate was placed third. The Innovative Team Award went to Havelock North Intermediate.