Serving up a healthy message

Healthy eating messages are being dished up at Merivale School today, as part of a free programme providing the community with oral health and nutrition education through interactive healthy cooking workshops.

Adolescent oral health promoter and chef Stephen Cameron is showing families how to make low cost, low calorie, healthy food in the school's kitchen, as part of the Healthy Cooking and Oral Health Programme.


Charkarney Rimaha (purple t-shirt) and Araia Cameron prepare food while District Health Board Adolescent Oral Health Promotor Stephen Cameron prepares vegetables to add to the meal. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

The workshops aim to achieve a behaviour of good oral health practice and dental care for life, to provide participants with a good understanding of healthy eating principals and practical skills to achieve healthy cooking.

Stephen says the cooking methodology used within the workshops consists of layering flavours through the food by using healthy cooking techniques as well as spices, herbs, healthy sauces and dressings.

This is achieved by using a diverse range of different styles of ethnic home cookery with the use of low cost lean protein, low amounts of good oils and different fruit and vegetable combinations.

'We're competing against processed foods which are highly salted, and have a lot of sugar and a lot of fat,” explains Stephen.

'So we're trying to make fresh, whole foods taste good using sauces, cooking techniques and adding spices and rubs.

'It is possible. It's just about showing people those techniques to do that. Plus, if you can bulk a meal up with vegetables you can reduce the price, because it's the meat that's highly priced.”

The programme also provides training and education to schools, kura and other health and education providers about the importance of dental health, brushing, tooth decay and plaque build-up in relation to bacteria.

Stephen says the aim of the programme is to empower youth to use their available free basic dental care until the age of 18 and to provide participants with an understanding of good oral health care knowledge.

'Throughout New Zealand we have a lot of high tooth decay with under-fives and that's partially because of the high sugar drinks that parents are giving the children,” he adds.

'Think about how much sugar is actually in a small bottle of ‘fizzy'. A 600ml bottle of fizzy has 15 teaspoons of sugar.”

A second workshop, run by Merivale Community Centre, will be held at the school on Friday, July 30.

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