Building healthy habits for life
Getting hands on experience in the kitchen can be an important part of building lifelong healthy habits for younger South Australians.
Together with Jodie Oddy and Andrew Hayes from Nova 919’s Jodie & Haysey Breakfast Show, Sprout Cooking School owner and MasterChef finalist Callum Hann has hosted a cooking session for a school class as part of Preventive Health SA’s obesity prevention initiatives and LiveLighter campaign.
LiveLighter and Preventive Health SA’s broader obesity prevention work encourages South Australians to recognise what goes into their food and promotes a more balanced diet including eating more fresh fruit and vegetables.
The aim of the cooking school opportunity is to get children involved in preparing nutritious snacks and lunches, and learning about how food and drink choices can affect their health, learning and energy levels throughout the day.
Preventive Health SA Chief Executive Marina Bowshall said, “Learning to enjoy how to prepare food and planning for nutritious and tasty meals is something we want to encourage.
We are grateful to partner with Sprout who will provide three school classes the chance for a hands-on cooking experience.
Whilst there are many reasons why overweight and obesity has increased in our community, we want everyone to know that there are simple things everyone can do to support health and wellbeing and reduce the risk of disease.
Taking even small steps towards eating well and making healthier food choices can make a big difference to your health.
For kids, it’s important we support them to develop positive relationships with food from the start, teach them about how we can nurture our bodies and mind by eating and drinking well, and support parents to develop those healthy habits for life.”
Sprout Cooking head chef Callum Hann said, “It is a privilege to be able to share my passion for cooking and the importance of nutrition and where food comes from in a fun environment.
Sharing healthy food tips with young South Australians is a great way to demonstrate that it can be easy to make delicious healthy meals.
We aim to use our classes to learn in a 100 per cent hands on environment, to build confidence, but more importantly a healthy lifelong relationship with food and cooking. We believe that good health starts in the kitchen.”
These actions align with the objectives laid out in the National Obesity Prevention Strategy 2022-2032 to address obesity, which is now the leading risk factor for preventable health conditions, overtaking smoking.
Obesity puts people at greater risk of many diseases and health problems, including cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. South Australia has the nation’s highest rate of diabetes.
The LiveLighter campaign is being delivered as part of a broad obesity prevention strategy being supported by the South Australian Obesity Prevention Collaborative including Preventive Health SA, Cancer Council SA and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).
The latest data from the South Australian Population Health Survey shows 66 per cent of adults and 37.1 per cent of children across South Australia are overweight or living with obesity.
More information and resources can be found on the LiveLighter website.
Find out more about Preventive Health SA’s obesity prevention programs, policies and education initiatives.