March 2013

Stonerweslestter

Maningrida Healthy Tucker Pack

During 2012, a group of women from the Maningrida Families as First Teachers (FAFT) group worked together with the Maningrida Progress Association (MPA) store to create a hamper of healthy, non-perishable/long life foods.

To begin with the women learnt about the food groups and what types of foods might be healthy options for the hamper. Long life foods were chosen so that people without a refrigerator could buy the hamper. This also placed a smaller burden on the store manager and MPA staff who had to pack the hampers.

The group went to the MPA store with cameras and took photos of foods. They included something from all the five food groups – breads and cereals, vegetables, fruit, dairy and meat. They also created recipes that could be made with the packs.

On the day that the hamper was launched, the group helped to pack the food items into boxes.

They also did a cook up out the front of the store using some of their own recipes. The tucker packs were on display and open so people could look at them. The group cooked, handed out recipe booklets and explained the process to community members. Since the launch in August 2012, 10 hampers have been sold. People think that outstation people are buying the packs.

Maybe in the future we can get the packs on the Tucker Run out to the outstations. Well done to the women at FAFT and the MPA for working on such a positive project

Product Profile :
High fibre, high iron bread.

Although these loaves of bread can be slightly smaller than plain loaves, this bread has many good things about it:

It helps people who have low iron or “anaemia”

It is cheaper for the store to buy than a normal loaf of bread

The high fibre bread is lower in GI so it is better for people who have diabetes

Swap soft drinks for water!

Nguiu Ullintjinni Association store committee was worried about the number of people in their community who had diabetes. They decided to make the price of soft drinks more to encourage people to buy healthier alternatives.

The higher prices came out at the same time as other education activities which
described why the price had increased.

Not as many people buy  soft drink anymore but there has been no loss of profit because of the higher
price, so the store has not lost money.

With more education, the difference between the cost of diet soft drink and regular soft drink may help people to make a
healthier choice.

Easy recipe for your takeaway:
Braised Steak and Vegetables with Rice

Ingredients:
2 large brown onions 3 large potatoes
1 can braised steak and onions 1 can green beans
1 can tomatoes
1 can corn kernels

Fry onions in a large pot with a tablespoon of oil, until it starts to brown

Add cut up potato, tinned tomatoes and 1 can of water then cook until potato is soft
While this is cooking, start cooking rice
Add green beans, corn and braised steak and onions to the pot and mix through
Serve with rice

Recipe from “Flour Drum Stove cookbook”