The kitchen at Lough Moss Leisure Centre in Carryduff was filled with colour, flavour and enthusiasm this week as Community Facilitators rolled up their sleeves for the South Eastern Trust’s Cook It! Programme, commissioned by the Public Health Agency.
The Health Improvement Dietetic Team’s role is to train and support Tutors to deliver evidence-based nutrition and practical cooking skills programmes across the community, organisations and health care settings, helping to build confidence and promote healthier lifestyles.
Those in attendance at the morning session set about preparing a freshly cooked, hearty three course lunch incorporating fresh, lean meat, vegetables and fruit as a delicious Chicken Curry, Cheesy Bean Crunch and Summer Fruit Fool were served.
South Eastern Trust Health Improvement Dietitian, Jennifer McBratney described the course as a, “Hands on, very fun way to deliver nutrition and cooking skills to our Tutors so that they can take the learning back to their communities and deliver it to their own areas.”
“Each Tutor receives a comprehensive manual containing 95 recipes and we make sure they feel fully confident to deliver the programme. We have Cook It! Tutors working across a variety of settings throughout the Trust including SureStart programmes, foodbanks, social supermarkets and Healthy Living Centres.”
Jennifer added, “Taking part in the programme is a fun way of getting the nutritional messages across in a really practical style. The recipes are not complicated and they are family friendly and cost effective. People who take part tell us how much they love it and often they do not want the programme to end after six weeks!”
Putting the finishing touches to her Fruit Fool, Family Lead/Group Facilitator in Down SureStart, Rachael Magee shared how she will be able to bring back the skills and knowledge to local parents. Rachael commented, “The session today has been great. We are learning how to make nutritious food at home and the importance of cooking from scratch. The session is great to show how families can get involved. We are cooking Chicken Curry, so instead of the take-aways, you can make your own at home.”
Rachael explained how through her role as a Group Facilitator and by taking part in the Cook It! Programme, she hopes to encourage more families to rediscover the joy of home cooking. “I want to get families back into the kitchen, empowering them to cook fresh, delicious meals that they can sit down to enjoy together as a family around the table.”
Hannah McCourt, Health Improvement Manager at the Public Health Agency said: “Cook It! is a key part of our commitment to improving nutrition, confidence and cooking skills within communities. It gives people the practical knowledge they need to make healthier choices every day, and it’s fantastic to see such enthusiasm from Tutors who will now take these skills back to local families and groups. Programmes like this make a real difference in supporting long‑term health and wellbeing.”
For more information on the Cook It programme email Training.dietitians@setrust.hscni.net