Even teammates from other schools have been trying to find ways to order the combination when they get off the bus for netball.

This is just a taster from Linton primary's canteen overhaul to spark a healthier lifestyle and culture the past two school terms.

The school has been working with Ballarat Community Health and Linton Takeaway in a healthy school achievement program and a key part of this has been promoting and educating pupils on healthier eating with the aim this might spark interest in the wider community.

Linton principal Jenny Dyer and senior school teacher Erin Mitchell said initially there had concern among families that teachers would become like lunchbox police.

Gradually, they have been able to work with families to change the culture on healthy choices.

Ms Mitchell said the school's "big kids" can really help set good habits as role models for younger pupils.

"We wanted to enable children to take pressure off parents for mealtimes at home. We've gone from minimal children to most children now preparing their lunches and involved in choices at home, including discussions with parents when fruit might be more expensive compared to chips or muesli bars," Ms Mitchell said.

"We did a lot of paddock-to-plate for national science week, about how food gets to us...Children made their own bread and made their own butter.

"We've spent a lot of time connecting good food choices. We can't eat perfect all the time but food is fuel for the brain and when we don't fuel properly, our brains don't function properly."

A project based in western Victoria using a community-based approach to tackle childhood obesity found primary school aged children will adopt healthier choices when the right lifestyle and environmental influences in place.

The study, led by Deakin University's Global Obesity Centre, found significant behavioural change such as eating less takaway and drinking more water. There was also an initial drop in obesity levels for the first two years of the four-year study, but these levels were not sustained. Pupils also reported improved mental well-being.

More than 7000 pupils participated in the study.

Centre leader Steven Allender said improved health-related quality of live that had been sustained was highly encouraging.

"The long-term changes in reported food choices and physical and emotional well-being are important firsts for community prevention of child ill health," Professor Allender said.

"This research really demonstrates that establishing sustained improvements in children's health needs the backing of the entire community."

Linton was not part of this study but it has still been a community approach in making change at their school.

Linton Takeaway's Cristine Gall and Amy McDonald have worked in modifying lunch order menus.

It took one term for pupils to migrate from predominantly choosing pies and sausage rolls to adopting a variety of salad bowls, wedges with sour cream, chicken nuggets, milk, frozen yoghurt, sandwiches and the cheese, carrot and celery dipping snacks.

Wednesday has traditionally been hot food day when children would often bring pies to heat up at school. They have since started turning up with lasagne or pizza they have made at home.

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Linton principal Jenny Dyer said pupils were starting to question their snacks from home more and when or how often it might be okay to have sugary treats.

The school does have treat days, such as hot dogs in rolls, and teachers will join in eating them.

Ms Dyer said taste sessions for a variety of fruit and vegetables - many pupils had never seen or tasted before - had been important in expanding their awareness of options.

Breaking apart coconuts and realising their different elements had been a particular class pleaser.

Ms Dyer and Ms Mitchell said a lot of different fruits and vegetables were not as easily accessible in small towns like Linton, compared to Ballarat.

They said working with Ballarat Community Health program leaders had helped in breaking down traditional curriculum jargon and goals to make healthy options more palatable for pupils' understanding. These were lessons they hoped pupils could build on for life.

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