Help to unlock healthy eating available for disadvantaged WA families

A state-wide nutrition program for disadvantaged parents and families has been announced for Western Australia, targeting children aged zero to five years of age, supported through Foodbank WA and Healthway.

The Food Sensations for Parents Program is a free nutrition and cooking program designed to provide parents with an understanding of healthy eating for their children. The program targets children aged zero to five, developers said, because “early childhood is a crucial time to establish healthy eating behaviours for optimal health, growth and cognitive development”.

With a focus of the development of practical skills to support healthy eating, the program aims to address common challenges faced by families in the early years, giving tools and skills to support families to make positive changes at meal times, and to improve health outcomes for young children.

Describing the program as a “hands on nutrition and cooking experience”, Foodbank WA’s public health nutritionist, Jennifer Tartaglia, said “We are very excited to have the opportunity to deliver a state-wide nutrition program that focuses on infant and child nutrition. The Food Sensations for Parents program is  fantastic and will provide parents with the tools to give their children the best food and drink choices for good health”

Acknowledging the difficulties parents and families can face, in terms of food budgeting and cooking skills, Ms Tartaglia said the program tackles a wide range of topics including:

• Food groups

• Label reading

• Fussy eating

• Practical cooking skills.

The program was initially established in 2016 in partnership with BHP, for program delivery in the Pilbara region of WA. The Healthway funding will allow the program to be rolled out across the state of WA, extending the benefits of participation to a wider audience, Ms Tartaglia said.

Further information about the program can be found on the Foodbank WA website, or via this video link.