Back to basics in the kitchen to beat economic blues

March 20, 2009

Australia’s best-known nutritionist, Dr Rosemary Stanton, said the current economic downturn offered families an opportunity to reconnect with healthy food and rekindle cooking skills.

Dr Stanton, in Perth as a keynote speaker at the Weighing Up Our Future Congress, today launched a new booklet to help people identify different fruit and vegetables, what’s in season and how to use them.

The booklet, A to Z of Fruit and Vegetables, has been developed by the Cancer Council WA and Diabetes WA as part of the Go for 2&5 campaign.

“One of the easiest ways to reduce the strain on the family budget is to buy fresh produce and prepare meals at home for the family to share,” Dr Stanton said.

“Home prepared food is always cheaper. Even though fast-food seems cheap, when you buy enough for a family of four you could have made something much cheaper and healthier at home.”

Dr Stanton said the need for a guide to fruit and vegetables was a sign of the times.

“It reflects the fact many people no longer have a garden or are in touch with food. We have increasingly come to rely on foods that are easily purchased from a supermarket and of course, people eat out more often.

“We have been seduced by packaged foods with labels that tell us that vitamins and nutrients have been added. This in turn has been pushed by marketing efforts to sell us more processed foods.

“I believe issues of sustainability and budgets will help us return to a more normal way of understanding basic foods.”

Dr Stanton said cooking at home offered a way for kids to develop skills that would last them a lifetime.

“Cooking may seem daunting but it is really very easy once you get started. Getting the whole family to help in preparing meals teaches skills and reduces the burden on any one person.

“Even a three-year-old can help tearing up the leaves for a salad, for example.”

Steve Pratt from Cancer Council WA said there were plenty of resources available to help people who wanted to save money on their food budget or get some cooking skills.

“The FOODcents program, as an example, was developed during the economic recession of the early 1990s.
                                       
“It promotes a healthy way of eating to people wanting to save money on their food budget and teaches people to allocate food money to ensure a well balanced diet,” Mr Pratt said.

“Although the prices of fresh foods have risen, it’s important to note that buying meat, vegetables and fruit and preparing your own meals still represents better value than processed foods and take-away options,” he said.

Dr Stanton said it only required a small amount of effort to save money on food bills.

 “Buy foods in season and cook at home. Not only will the whole family benefit from a healthier diet, it will also bring the family together to share and learn new skills.”

“Choose plant-based foods and avoid expensive packaged products and if you can, make a veggie garden or at least grow some herbs, lettuce and tomatoes in pots.

“This new guide will make it easier to know what’s in season and how to cook them, as well as introducing different vegetables and fruits to your diet or perhaps rediscovering fresh produce that you haven’t tried in a long time,” Dr Stanton said.

The A to Z of Fruit and Vegetables will be available at fresh produce retailers.

To find out more about FOODcents go to www.foodcentsprogram.com.au. More information about Go for 2&5 is available at www.gofor2and5.com.au.