Health Promoting Organisation
‘Communities for Children – Joining together for Bendigo children’
Growing a Healthy Appetite for Life
Aim: To support families and children to choose to eat healthy foods and to enjoy regular physical activity.
Research shows that good nutrition and physical activity in the early years reduces many of the risk factors that are linked with diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease in later life. Growing an Appetite for Life is committed to creating supportive environments, providing information and encouraging good practices. The strategy uses a ‘Whole of Community’ approach to enhance the knowledge and skills of parents and children relating to nutrition and physical activity.
What it looks like:
A working party made up of community members and service providers supports and informs the
Growing an Appetite for Life strategy.
A range of programs and resources are available to support families and their communities in making healthy choices.
Resources include:
Budgeting charts, label reading cheat sheets, goal setting strategies progress sheets, the BCHS
weight control brochure, the BCHS cook book, healthy eating and active living tip sheets, Information on the benefits of breast feeding.
Programs include:
Community Kitchen Programs:
10 week course that allows a group of people to get together to cook, learn and socialize.
Benefits include:
· Improved knowledge of food choices and access to food
· Increased skills in the following areas - social skills, basic life skills, leadership, team work,
literacy, numeracy and confidence and self esteem
Education Sessions:
Available for playgroups, childcare services, schools, and community groups.
Content includes:
· Benefits of healthy food
· Eating patterns early years – encouraging healthy eating (including breast feeding) in 0-5yr olds
· Food purchasing
· Financial & budgeting education / Accessing financial counselling services
· Label reading / Menu planning / Healthy takeaway options / Lunch box tips
· Goal setting / behaviour change strategies
· Benefits of physical activity for all age ranges
· Getting started – walking group start up support
· Physical activity games for 1 - 5 yr olds
Outreach Lactation Service:
· Home visits from Lactation Nurse to support breast feeding as a healthy option for infants.
Supporting community venues and meeting places to establish healthy food choices policies:
Menu Planning Guidelines and a food quality color coding system. Food is given either red, amber or green to identify foods according to the nutrient composition and health benefit of the foods.
For example foods color coded with:
Red - no nutrient value are high in sugar, fat or salt and should only be eaten in very small quantities,
Amber - have some nutrients but can contribute to obesity and should be eaten moderately and
Green - high in nutrient, low in added sugars, fats and salt and ideally make up the major part of a healthy diet.
Growing an Appetite for Life is committed to creating supportive environments, information and practices to support breastfeeding.
How will people be able to become involved:
Requests for information on healthy food choices and physical acitivity, education sessions, Growing An Appetite for Life Programs or policy support from all interested parties is welcome.
People may also like to be involved as volunteers to support the Community Kitchen Programs or by becoming a member of the working party.
Who will benefit?
Children, their families and the broader community within the site area.
Contact:
Bronwyn Moore
Address: Bendigo Community Health Services
PO Box 1121, Bendigo Vic 3552