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Why
was Quick Meals for Kooris developed?
There
is a need for urban Aboriginal people to have access to relevant
food programs that promote healthy family eating. A program was
needed that was 'hands-on' and enabled new food skills to be learnt
in a friendly informal environment.
'Quick meals for Kooris' was designed to enable Aboriginal people to
improve their health through gaining knowledge and developing skills
to enable them to feed their families healthy food on a budget.
A resource was also needed that could be used to train Aboriginal health
workers or interested members of the Aboriginal community to deliver
the program thus ensuring sustainability.
How was it developed?
The Central Coast Aboriginal Health Strategic Plan 1997-2001 identified
that the Aboriginal community wanted health education programs that
focussed on healthy eating, diabetes, heart disease, obesity and healthy
eating on a budget. A pilot-cooking program was conducted with members
of the local community and a pilot training program was conducted with
local Aboriginal health workers.
What is in the cooking program?
There are two three-hour sessions, which begin with a demonstration
of aspects of each recipe; then the class is divided into groups to
cook a recipe together; the meal is then shared and eaten with socialising
and happy discussions taking place.
Session 1 - 'Family meals - fast and easy'; and
Session 2 - 'Feeding children and filling teenagers'
Each recipe has instructions on how to modify it for diabetes, for
example: how to substitute ingredients depending on availability; and
how to use leftovers.
What are participants involved in?
-
discussion
of nutrition issues related to diabetes and heart disease;
-
preparation
of low cost recipes;
-
sharing
ideas and preparing meals from ingredients that are 'in the
cupboard';
using a range of ingredients, modifying recipes or 'extending meat'
to serve more people;
-
learning
how to adapt or choose recipes to suit cooking skills, utensils
and equipment that they may have available;
-
discussing
food safety and hygiene (woven into the sessions);
-
preparing
meals and snacks suitable for the whole family.
What
else is in the kit?
Simple nutrition related health information is included as background
for the group leader. It briefly covers diabetes, heart disease,
nutrition and drug and alcohol abuse issues, kidney problems,
chewing and swallowing difficulties and food allergies and food
intolerance.
Information
and guidelines are also provided to train Aboriginal health workers
and Aboriginal community members to conduct the 'Quick meals for
Kooris' cooking program. This includes a timeframe (what to do
8 weeks before; 1 week before; what to do on the day) and covers
such things as funding sources, equipment needed, shopping list
for foods, recipes, transport, childcare, promotion and sample
letters/flyers/posters/press releases.
How can it be delivered?
The cooking program can be run as a 'stand alone' program or included
in larger programs, including those that address: diabetes; heart disease;
living on a budget; working with youth; community gardens; vacation
care etc. The kit is also designed to train Aboriginal health workers
or Aboriginal community members to deliver the cooking program.
Author:
Carolyn Bunney
Community/Public Health Nutritionist
Central Coast Area Health, NSW
Postal Address:
PO Box 361
Gosford NSW 2250
Tel: (02) 4320 3362
Fax: (02) 4320 2828
Email: cbunney@nsccahs.health.nsw.gov.au
Acknowledgments:
The Nutrition department of Central Coast Health NSW would like to
thank the staff of the Nunyara Aboriginal Health Unit CCAHS;
staff of the Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Health Centre; NSW Aboriginal
Health Branch for funding and the Aboriginal community of the
Central coast for their involvement in the development of this
resource.
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