KNYSNA NEWS - It's a fact, sugar-free is the new black. Even sin taxes are making "sugarphiles" pay up to R2 extra or more for their saccharine fizzy drinks, but for today's kids who are used to the teeth-rotting goodness that is still available in such a multitude of products, this concept is a bit more difficult to grasp – or accept.

But they might have to if a new trend in school nutrition becomes the norm.

It's a gradual process…
At Knysna Primary School (KPS), for instance, the tuck shop "tannies" (as they were fondly known in the sugar-full days of yore) are now young, body-conscious experts trying to make a difference by trying to ease kids into this new sugar-free world in a way that won't shock the little ones' systems to the core.

Analucia Steyn and Charlene Turpin are the ladies responsible for the shift to healthier food alternatives at KPS. According to Steyn they have removed all sugary items from the tuck shop during first break, and replaced them with healthier options that she says the kids are really starting to enjoy.

"We have removed all the sugary, carbonated drinks from the tuck shop, except for two products from Henties. The rest is fruit juice. To replace the sweets and unhealthy snacks we have introduced options like fruit salads and veggie cups with a dip. It took a little while for the kids to get used to it, but now they come asking us for these alternatives," Steyn says.

A bit of cheating goes a long way
She admits they had to cheat a bit in the beginning by offering apples covered in chocolate, but says they have been systematically phasing chocolaty products out from their range. "It's all about getting the kids away from the sugar, and it really seems like it's having a positive effect," Steyn says.

She adds that there has been a significant change in the kids' eating habits at school, with the tuck shop also including cooked meals for second break, "but then we sell some sweets as well, although there is always a queue for the cooked meals, which we prepare with the freshest ingredients. Eventually we will have removed all sugary products."

Analucia Steyn (left) and Irene Petersen during peak time at the tuck shop. Photo: Stefan Goosen

'We've noticed a change in the kids'
KPS deputy principal Gina Lahoud says although the tuck shop is run independently of the school, that the school supports the move to healthier food alternatives.

"We've noticed changes in the kids, and they have quite an interesting menu," she adds.

Elsewhere in Knysna it seems every school has its own way of addressing sugar at tuck shops.

At Knysna Montessori, according to Liezel Brazier, they don't have a tuck shop at all, and the hostel makes cooked meals available to all the kids, not only those living in the hostel.

According to Oakhill School's Karine Trollip their tuck shop, contracted out to "Under the Oaks", emphasises raw commodity quality and healthy eating, and more recently a commitment to environmental sustainability.

She says that wholesome and freshly prepared nutritious foods are on offer with no carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, chocolates or sweets. "Sweet items on offer are all home baked and include crunchies and brownies," she says.

Knysna Primary School's tuck shop. Photo: Stefan Goosen

Knysna High School's tuck shop tannie Tilly Booysen says she tries to keep the foods and treats she sells at the shop preservative free as far as possible, uses healthy bread, and instead of selling mass-produced sweets, she offers home-made options that contain less sugar and preser-vatives than store-bought products. "I also think that high school kids are old enough to make these decisions about what to eat themselves," she adds.

No tuck shop also an option
Percy Mdala High School's kids might have it good when it comes to sugar at school, as a school spokesperson said there is no tuck shop, so no evil sugary temptation for them. The spokesperson did add that hot dogs, vetkoek and iced lollies are available near the school grounds.

At Sunridge Primary School the tuck shop lady has added fruit to the menu, but still maintains the normal menu of "sweeties and chippies" for the kids.

So, it's pretty much "do as you see fit" for the schools in Greater Knysna when it comes to sugar in tuck shops, but could schools like KPS and Oakhill be setting a new trend which, according to countless studies you can find on the internet, is the better option for kids? Only time can tell, but one thing remains a fact – a spoon full of sugar always helps the medicine go down.

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