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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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