Bringing you the latest nutrition information and food ideas to help boost your health and wellbeing.

GOLD Cooking Workshop

Cooking with Herbs and Spices - Italian Themed

In celebration of Queensland Seniors Week in August, we held a cooking workshop at the Brighton Wellness Hub as part of Brisbane City Council's GOLD (Growing Older and Living Dangerously) program. This program is for people living in the Brisbane City Council area, aged 50 years and over. These workshops are an excellent opportunity for participants to add skills to their cooking repertoire in a relaxed and social environment. People with all levels of cooking skills are welcome, as these workshops are a chance to develop new skills and confidence.

During this 'Cooking with Herbs and Spices - Italian Themed' workshop, participants made a variety of dishes including tomato and basil bruschetta, berry bruschetta and an Italian pasta salad. With strict COVID safe plans in place as well as all participants and facilitators adhering to social distancing rules and hygiene practices, we were thrilled to be back in the community running this face to face cooking workshop. Check out some photos below! 

Keep an eye out for our upcoming GOLD cooking workshop in December! Details are up on our website now and bookings open on Wednesday 11th November. You can find more information about our COVID safe plans and policies on our website here.

These cooking workshops are proudly supported by Brisbane City Council’s Active and Healthy team.

Latest News and Research

What foods are being packed in children's lunchboxes when attending early childhood education and care services?

A recent study explored the lunchbox foods packed and consumed by children attending early childhood education and care services in New South Wales, while comparing the serves of foods packed and consumed with nutrition guideline recommendations, as well as the associations between parent characteristics and the serves of food groups packed in lunchboxes.

Key findings from this study include:

• Less than half (44%) of lunchboxes contained vegetables, and 54% contained at least one serve of discretionary foods

• Less than 1% of lunchboxes met all setting‐specific nutrition guidelines, which are that lunchboxes should provide approximately 50% of a child's recommended daily dietary intake if attending 8 hours in care (i.e. approximately half the daily recommended core food group serves for this age group as outlined in the Australian Dietary Guidelines)

• On average, children consumed 68% of lunchbox contents, with the lowest consumption rate being for vegetables

• An association was found between parent education level and packing of discretionary foods, but not for packing of fruit or vegetables

Why is this important to consider?​

• Health and nutrition play an integral part of every child’s life. Ensuring children have access to nutritious and safely prepared meals will improve their overall health, behaviour and learning outcomes
• As outlined in this study, lunchboxes contained an over‐representation of discretionary foods and under‐representation of vegetables, and children had a low preference for consuming vegetables compared with other food groups
• Interventions to support parent packing of lunchboxes in line with nutrition guidelines and strategies to expand child preference for foods such as vegetables are warranted

How can NAQ Nutrition help?

• Within our Food Foundations program at NAQ Nutrition, we work with early childhood education and care services as well as parents to support children, including how to meet the recommended nutrition guideline recommendations for such settings
• Please get in touch if you would like to find out more or join our Food Foundations subscription program. Send us an email at foodfoundations@naqld.org. 

Reference: Pearson, N,  Wolfenden, L,  Finch, M, et al. A cross‐sectional study of packed lunchbox foods and their consumption by children in early childhood education and care services. Nutrition & Dietetics. 2020; 1– 9. https://doi.org/10.1111/1747-0080.12632

Recipe Idea

Online Resources

Healthy Eating in Australia

The NSW Refugee Health Service has recently developed this resource in collaboration with a number of other services and organisations.

The videos cover a range of topics related to healthy eating such as the five food groups, accessing healthy food, the importance of food safety and other practical tips to encourage wellbeing.

The videos are available in five languages: Arabic, Karen, Dari, Tibetan and English. Newly-arrived communities face a variety of barriers to making healthy food choices. This can lead to poorer health outcomes and reduced quality of life. ‘Healthy Eating in Australia’ is a multi-lingual video series that aims to stimulate awareness and discussion around making healthy food choices in Australia.

The videos can be used with community groups, English language classes, health promotion projects and settlement orientation programs. Click here to access these videos.

Boost your Healthy

The Boost your Healthy digital hub has been developed by Health and Wellbeing Queensland to provide support, inspiration and ideas to help Queenslanders stay healthy and active during COVID-19.

It features content from a wide range of Health and Wellbeing Queensland Alliance Partners who have played a valuable role in supporting the creation of the site. It also offers a platform for people to showcase how they are staying healthy through #BoostCampQld, and the Big Boost will feature a series of challenges to motivate and encourage people to stay healthy at this difficult time. Find out more below!

Big Boost Challenges

The Wellbeing Series

The third Big Boost initiative of The Wellbeing Series has launched! 

Wellbeing, it’s a word that gets used a lot, particularly now, but what exactly does it mean to be a well being? My health for life, on behalf of Health and Wellbeing Queensland for their Boost your Healthy initiative, are answering that question through a series of eight short videos. Each video features a range of well-known Queensland identities, health professionals and everyday Queenslanders, and investigates and celebrates the essential ingredients for living well.  

Why not take a moment out of your day to check out the videos and discover what it takes to be a well being. To find out more and to watch The Wellbeing Series, click here.

Events and Training Opportunities

Live Well Logan Cooking Workshops

NAQ Nutrition hosts cooking workshops as part of the Logan City Council’s Live Well Logan program. These cooking workshops are open to people living in the Logan City Council area, aged 18 years and over, and are $3 per participant. Upcoming workshops are as follows:

Cooking for a Healthy Heart (18 years and over)
Saturday 19th September 2020 10am - 11:30am
Keep your heart healthy without compromising the taste of your meals. Learn practical tips at this hands-on cooking session, where you will be the chef. This cooking workshop is located at the Logan West Community Centre (2 Wineglass Dr, Hillcrest). Click here for more information. 

Mood Foods (18 years and over)
Saturday 14th November 2020 1pm - 2:30pm
Learn what foods will help balance your mood and make you feel your best. Join us in this hands-on workshop where you make tasty recipes that you can recreate at home. This cooking workshop is located at the Beenleigh Neighbourhood Centre (10 - 12 James St, Beenleigh). Click here for more information.

KRANK Teens School Holiday Cooking Workshops

NAQ Nutrition also hosts cooking workshops as part of the Logan City Council’s KRANK Teens School Holiday program. These cooking workshops are open to people living in the Logan City Council area, aged 12 - 17 years, and are $3 per participant. Upcoming workshops are as follows:

Best Ever Burgers (KRANK Teens 12 -17 years)
Wednesday 23rd September 2020 1pm - 2:30pm
Impress your friends. Learn how to make delicious and healthy burgers from scratch in our hands on workshop. This cooking workshop is located at the Loganlea Community Centre, (28 - 32 Timms St, Loganlea). Click here for more information. 

Food Safety Supervisor Course

Through COVID-19 we continue to offer food safety supervisor courses. Our courses include industry specific content and are designed with the needs of our students in mind. Our Food Safety Supervisor course:

• Meets the requirements of nationally recognised training
• Prepares food safety supervisors to supervise and oversee day to day operations and to prevent and recognise food safety hazards
• Early years and aged care courses are specifically designed for those working with vulnerable populations

We provide opportunities for students to complete the course and all assessment in one day at face-to-face training, with no take home assignments.

Click on the following links for more information on the venue, cost and to register for our upcoming courses:

Food Safety Supervisor Course for Early Years Settings
Thursday 22nd October 2020 9am - 4pm
Our Place Hall - Cnr Japonica and Robinia Street, Inala 

Food Safety Supervisor Course for Aged Care Settings
Thursday 22nd October 2020 9am - 4pm
Our Place Hall - Cnr Japonica and Robinia Street, Inala

We also offer this course remotely during COVID-19. If you would like to know more about how you can complete the course remotely please email training@naqld.org.

Do you have a question for the Healthy at Home team?

You can email your enquiries to healthyathome@naqld.org

NAQ Nutrition
12/212 Curtin Avenue West
Eagle Farm QLD 4009
Ph: (07) 3257 4393
www.naqld.org