Students Explore Food, Nutrition and Industry Skills

By Emma Moore | Posted: Monday May 18, 2026

The last few weeks have been busy in the Food & Nutrition Department.

The Year 10 classes finished their My Food Kete tasks, with some very successful dishes created. A range of balanced, healthy meals was prepared, including homemade burgers, pasta bakes, pizzas, and stir-fries. The boys had a great time creating their kete and preparing their dishes.

The Level 1 classes participated in their Wānanga Days last week, with a focus on breakfast/brunch and snack ideas, while also developing their skills in cookery methods such as poaching and frying. The students have been studying nutrition this term, so the foods they prepared were supported by nutritional theory.

They started the day by making homemade smoothies for breakfast, with additions such as LSA (ground linseed, sunflower seeds, and almond meal), peanut butter, and oats. They also made homemade bliss balls (protein balls) as a snack alternative to enjoy later in the day, before preparing brunch for themselves.

As part of their brunch preparation, they used techniques such as poaching eggs and lightly frying halloumi, working towards creating a balanced plate model for lunch. The activities completed during the day can also be used later in their first internal assessment.

The Level 2 class had a great day completing a food handling course, while the Level 3 class enjoyed a ‘Foodie Tour’ of the Warehouse Precinct, including Tūhura Otago Museum. They had a marvellous day, starting on Princes Street at Breads & More and Princes Street Butcher, before heading to Total Food Equipment and Tūhura Otago Museum.

The day concluded with a walk around Vogel Street, where the students explored street art and many of the local food businesses in the area. The main highlight was finishing at Good Good, where the boys made their own burgers for lunch and gained hands-on experience in a commercial kitchen.

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