August 2014

Stonerweslestter

Ministry of Food Finals
Arnhem Land Progress Association (ALPA) Territory finalist in Jamie Oliver’s Ministry
of Food competition.

During March 2014, ALPA entered a competition through Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food. The prize was a 12-month contract of weekly cooking classes, providing basic cooking skills and nutrition education. ALPA chose to have the Gapuwiyak Store as the host kitchen site and reiterated how an opportunity like this is so greatly needed and wanted in remote communities.

With socio-economic disadvantage and low attendance rates at school, the community could really be inspired to learn more about cooking and nutrition, paving the way to better health
outcomes. Out of 170 applicants, Gapuwiyak was chosen as the NT finalist. Although Onkaparinga, SA, took out the win, there was hope that media attention would attract more funding and lead to
similar programs being set up in finalists’ communities in the future.
However ALPA has decided to take initiative and is looking to set up our own kitchen training centre in the near future. It will be a great way to teach
cooking skills and to educate about the benefits of eating healthy foods. Being able to provide Yolngu persons with a certificate in cookery skills will also open up employment opportunities and create a sustainable program.

Author: Brittney Johnson, ALPA Health and Nutrition Manager
Photos supplied by ALPA.

Remote Stores Newsletter Evaluation

Staff Profile: Ken Jones

Ken is the manager of Foodland in the town of Jabiru.
Jabiru has a variable tourist population from Wet season to Dry. It is considered remote and has a very large Indigenous population mostly living in outstations surrounding the town.
Ken worked for many years in the hospitality industry around Sydney, including Sydney’s Star Casino as the restaurant manager of the Garden Buffet. After this he moved into successive positions with Dan Murphy’s Liquor and then Independent Grocers Queensland. Ken’s first remote management position commenced when he began managing the Ringer Soak store as the first Outback Stores Manager. He quickly progressed to become an Area Manager for Outback Stores. Ken left Outback Stores three years ago to become the manager of the Jabiru Foodland.
Ken has enjoyed his time working in remote communities as there is something different to see every day and it has broken him away from the corporate world.
Ken believes the best way to promote healthy foods in remote communities is to always have the freshest product available at the best price available, and to always offer as much variety as possible.
Ken’s favourite food and holiday destinations are both Thai, and he can apparently whip up a pretty good Thai chicken green curry.

Thank you to everyone who completed the recent Remote Stores Newsletter Evaluation Survey.  Feedback was received from 7 Public Health Nutritionists, 2 Store Managers and 1 Nutrition Research Officer (n=10). All respondents
either Strongly Agreed or Agreed that the Newsletter was interesting, contained information that was useful, was easy to read and that it should continue to be produced. Some people reported printing the Newsletter and giving it to store staff while others stuck it up in the store for the whole community to see. They also talked with community members about some of the stories to advocate for improved nutrition.  While many felt that the content and format of the Newsletter was fine as is, there were suggestions to include store staff profiles, so this issue features Ken Jones from Jabiru Foodland.

Stores Newsletter Survey gave us a thumbs up!

August 2014

Stnoerweslestter

Product Profile: Iron-rich Infant Cereal for Babies

Baby food represents a small fraction of food sales within remote community stores, and infant cereal an even smaller fraction of sales within that category. Yet iron-enriched infant cereal is recommended by health professionals Australia wide as the ideal first food for babies.

Baby cereal is rice or wheat flour which is fortified with iron, designed to be mixed with boiled water or breastmilk by Mum
to make a smooth, thick porridge-like consistency that is rich in iron. Iron is needed for brain development and rapid growth and babies grow faster in the first 12 months than at any other time in life.
A seven-month-old baby needs more iron than his father! (11mg iron vs 8mg for an adult male*)

Breastmilk is the only food a baby needs until around six months of age. Then baby needs healthy foods in addition to breastmilk to grow and thrive. First foods have two important roles.  Firstly to provide additional protein, iron and other nutrients needed for healthy growth, and then to teach baby how to eat.  Learning to eat and enjoy a variety of tastes and textures is a key milestone in baby’s development – and chewing develops muscles in the jaw that are needed for speech later on.

Baby cereal offers an opportunity for increased sales in remote stores. It is a relatively low-cost item with a reasonable shelf life which provides

✓
around nine baby meals per pack
and is recommended by local health professionals. The six+ month varieties are most suitable and from a nutritional point of view, iron-enriched baby cereal is a much better choice than custard as first food for baby.

* Nutritional reference values for Australia and New Zealand 2006

Easy takeaway recipe:
Beef Curry

Ingredients:
kg Diced Beef 2 Onions
Carrots
Potatoes
2 x 500g packets of Frozen Vegetables
1 tablespoon Garlic
1 tablespoon Ginger
1 tablespoon Curry Powder 1 tablespoon Corn Flour
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

Cooking:

Chop vegetables and gather all ingredients.
Heat the oil in a pot, add beef and fry until brown.
Add onions, carrots, potato and vegetables. Stir until soft.
Add garlic, ginger and curry powder and stir.
Add some water just to cover the top of the beef and bring to the boil.
Stir through corn flour and then turn heat down low and simmer for 40 - 50 minutes or until meat is cooked. Serve with rice, pasta or bread.

Recipe and photograph provided by Jimmy Little Foundation and Fred Hollows Foundation, from “Kukumbat gudwan daga”. Recipe book and video available at www.thumbsup.org.au

This newsletter is produced every two months by the Department of Health to share stories, ideas and information amongst remote stores in the Northern Territory.  Contributions are welcome.  Please email tamie.needham@nt.gov.au