Thousands of students in regional Victoria will now receive free nutritious snacks alongside their existing free school lunches, thanks to Eat Up and Chobani.
For over a decade, Eat Up has been delivering free sandwiches to students experiencing food insecurity in regional areas – including Shepparton since 2013. Now, with the support of Chobani, the program is expanding to include nutritious snacks that round out the nutritional value of each meal.
Through the Supporting Nutritious Lunches for Regional Schools initiative, Eat Up will now provide Chobani Yogurt pouches, fresh fruit, and other healthy snacks to students in regional communities such as Shepparton, Bendigo, and Ballarat. The aim is to ensure children not only have something to eat at lunchtime but are also getting the nourishment they need to learn, focus, and thrive.
Eat Up Founder Lyndon Galea shared how meaningful this next step is, especially in Shepparton, where Eat Up was founded.
“Expanding into regional communities has always been a priority, and now we’re taking it a step further by improving the nutritional quality of the meals we provide. We’ve seen firsthand the impact a simple sandwich can have, and by adding healthy snacks like yogurt and fruit, we’re making sure these kids have the fuel they need to thrive—both in and out of the classroom.”
“With Chobani’s support, we’ve been able to make this program a reality. We hope this will be the first step in rolling out a sustainable model for nutritious snack deliveries for more regional communities across the country.”
Food insecurity in regional Victoria is rising
Over the past year, demand for Eat Up lunches in regional Victoria has surged, with 75% of schools reporting increased need and 26% more students accessing meals each week. To keep up, Eat Up has expanded its reach by 54%, improving efficiencies to support more schools—especially as housing shortages and affordability challenges drive food insecurity.
The Supporting Nutritious Lunches for Regional Schools initiative will serve 45 regional schools across Victoria, delivering 35,000 Chobani pouches annually, alongside fresh fruit and other nutritious snacks.
Chobani Australia’s Social Impact Manager, Adisa Hubanic, said that while food is the immediate need, the impact goes much deeper.
“At Chobani, we believe nutritious food should be accessible to everyone, no matter where they live. Regional communities face some of the greatest challenges when it comes to food insecurity, which is why we’re committed to making sure support reaches the kids who need it most.”
“We know tackling food insecurity takes time, but by working with Eat Up, we’re making real progress. To date, Chobani has helped deliver over 207,000 yogurt pouches, and we’re proud to continue supporting this vital work—because every child deserves to feel nourished, focused, and ready to learn.”