Stonerweslestter
ISSUE 10 | February 2015

Nutrition Training for Stores Licensing
During the first week of December, the Community Stores Licensing Team from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet got together for a workshop that included a day and a half of nutrition education, which was provided by the Top End public health nutritionists (PHNs) and the nutritionist from Outback Stores.

Members of the Community Stores Licensing Team at the training session.

The sessions were designed to give the team an overview of the work PHNs do in communities and how they can support stores and stores licensing, as well as basic nutrition information, including: the Australian Dietary Guidelines and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Guide to Healthy Eating (ATSIGTHE); health issues in communities; types of oils; fat and sugar in foods; fat functions and sources; label reading; sugar sweetened beverages; healthy takeaway snacks; recipe modification; store policies; store layout and placement to promote of healthy options; promotion of baby/infant foods and formula; Market Basket Surveys and the Health Star Rating system.

Participants were able to ask a range of questions and learn the truth about such things as:

Fortified flour and breads – what elements should we be particularly mindful of?
Fruit juices vs soft drinks vs water – what should we drink?
Eggs – do we need to worry about salmonella, cholesterol and handling and storage management to minimise health risks?
Average daily salt intake – how much do we need, how much should we avoid and how important is iodised salt?
Should we ‘ban’ double strength cordial, as it gets used in the same volume as the normal strength, and is therefore providing lots more sugar?
Rusk sticks – do we recommend them?
Rice Bran oil – is it a good oil?
Are energy drinks bad for communities and why?
Are gluten-free products good?
Is brown sugar better than white sugar?
Are superfoods really superfoods?

To find out the answers, ask your Stores Licensing Officer next time they visit!

The Stores team were also shown a range of information sources and resources that can support their work and help them share information with store managers and staff.
Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with comments like: “Very helpful and informative.”
“Fantastic day and a half.  Really appreciate time, preparation and contributions. It is great working collaboratively and look forward to continued good outcomes.”
“Great level of information and research.”
“Great training – engaging, interesting and relevant information in presentations. Thank you!”

This newsletter is produced 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

ISSUE 10 | February 2015

Stnoerweslestter

Pupuni Yinkiti shelf labels in Wurrumiyanga

Laurencia, the prize winner, with Bethany and Kristelle who ran the store tours

In early 2014, the Wurrumiyanga Store Committee at Nguiu on Bathurst Island asked Tania Whight (former Outback Stores Nutritionist) if she could help them to create shelf talker labels for their store that would identify the foods that are the healthier choices.

helf talkers for Wurrumiyanga Store

Tania, Bethany (Public Health Nutritionist) and the Committee started planning and decided that the first step was to create artwork for the labels. A local artist, Jacinta Alimankinni, came up with a bright image and the words were chosen to describe exactly what the labels were for – Good Food!

Bethany then talked to the community to see what they thought about having labels and the picture that was created. They then sourced some funding from Outback Stores to print the labels.

A checklist was created so store staff can regularly check and make sure that the correct healthy foods get the labels. In the 4 months of implementation so far, over 90% of healthy foods have been available and correctly labelled.

The community celebrated on October 1 with a special launch of the labels and a free BBQ of corn on the cob and vegie skewers.  People could also make a healthy drink riding on the smoothie bike and shop tours were organised so everyone knew where the healthy food choices were. Tickets were given out to the seventy people who went on the store tours for them to go in the draw to win a prize. Laurencia was the lucky winner of a food hamper!

S
designed by Jacinta Alimankinni

One of the most important things about using shelf talker labels is ongoing support and education. This is done in the form of cooking demonstrations, taste testing sessions and having school classes come to the shop. It’s also important to evaluate how the labels are going and whether they are useful. Of the community members surveyed, 90% knew about the label and 50% used them to choose healthy foods in the store. We are proud of the teamwork which is making the program strong, and helping people to make healthier choices.

Staff profile: Belinda Taylor

Laurencia, the prize winner, with Bethany and Kristelle who ran the store tours

Belinda is an administration worker for the Finke River Mission (FRM) Store, locally known as ‘The Bottom Shop’ in Ntaria (Hermannsburg). Ntaria is 130km west of Alice Springs
with a two-lane bitumen road all the way. Hermannsburg was established by the Lutheran Church in 1877 and among many other activities operated a rations store, followed by
a cash store and gradually progressed to the present building in 1974. The Traditional Owners (TOs) requested that FRM remain and operate a store after the community was handed back to the people in 1982. The store provides much more than food and groceries including providing local employment and offering encouragement, sympathy and Christian support where needed.

In 2011, Belinda came on a holiday to Central Australia to visit family and soon returned to Ntaria to work. Belinda’s first job in Ntaria was in the kitchen at the local school, preparing and packing healthy meals for the School Nutrition Program. Belinda then moved into an administration role and has been working at ‘The Bottom Shop’ for approximately three years.

The store runs its own refrigerated truck weekly to Alice Springs. Belinda helps with the ordering of the fruit and vegetables, meat and grocery items for the store. In the past Belinda has sourced and arranged specific requests e.g. diet jam and increased the variety of diet cordials available (to name a few). Belinda has recently returned from her holiday in America and Canada. She ticked Disneyland off her bucket list by going to the theme park on her birthday!

This newsletter is produced 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

ISSUE 10 | February 2015

Stnoerwesls

Product Profile: Reduced salt products

Although our body must have some salt (sodium), we often eat more than we need. Less than 2300mg of sodium (equal to a teaspoon of salt) each day is all we need.
Why avoid salt?
Salt in the diet has been linked to a variety of health problems, and in particularly heart diseases through raising blood pressure. High blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke and heart attacks.
Tips to reduce salt
Choose reduced salt products or unprocessed foods. A majority of our salt intake is hidden in processed food, therefore the less processed the foods, the better. If you are buying processed food, choose foods labelled “reduced salt” or “no added salt”. Reduced salt products must have least 25% less salt than similar products, but some reduced salt sauces, soups or stocks may still be very high in salt. Check the nutrition panel – a sodium (Na) content less than 120mg per 100g is desirable.

Do not add salt at the table or in cooking. Use herbs, spices and lemon instead of salt for flavour.
Mythbusters
Do you need extra salt if you sweat a lot?
No. The body is very good at keeping the amount of salt it needs. You need fluid (preferably water). Drink at least 1.5 litres daily, even more if you are very active and sweating a lot. Salt tablets are not recommended.
Does extra salt stop cramps?
Cramps are not due to a lack of salt. Drinking enough fluid and always warming up before exercise can help. Also check that your calcium intake (low-fat dairy products are the best source) is adequate.
Reproduced from:
Salt, Heart Foundation. http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/healthy-eating/food- labels/Pages/salt.aspx
Queensland Government – Low salt diet. http://www.health.qld.gov.au/nutrition/ resources/renal_lowsalt.pdf

Easy takeaway recipe:	One Pot Chicken Curry

Ingredients:
10 chicken thighs
2 apples
4 cups of peas or beans 2 onions
4 zucchinis
large tins tomatoes (2 x 880g)
– reduced salt (if available) 1 tablespoon sultanas
tablespoons curry powder 4 shakes of pepper
cloves garlic, crushed

Cooking:
Wash hands
Take skin off chicken
Peel and chop apples and onions. Chop zucchini.
Place apples, onions, zucchini, peas or beans, chicken, tomatoes, sultanas, curry powder, garlic and pepper into a large saucepan.
Bring to the boil slowly and cook over a low heat for 1 hour. Serve with rice, pasta, damper or bread.
Recipe and photograph provided by FOODcents for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in WA program from Deadly Tucker cookbook.

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This newsletter is produced 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