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Sowing the seeds of healthy eating

Families in New Plymouth, Waitara and Patea are discovering the many benefits of growing their own vegetables.

Te Maara Mo Nga Whanau (Food For The Family) is an innovative programme which started in November 2003 and was then extended. It is run by Te Hauora Pou Heretanga, a health promotions and disability advocacy service which is affiliated to Tui Ora Limited, a Maori health provider in Taranaki. The Food For The Family concept was the brainchild of diabetes advocate Sandra Humphreys and manager Carleen Broughton.

Diabetes is a big problem in Taranaki, and affects Maori disproportionately. A Taranaki District Health Board needs assessment 2001 report stated that "nutritious food is unaffordable for people on low incomes and there is a need for more health education regarding healthy food choices." So the local environment was perfect for introducing people to gardening as a way of encouraging both healthy eating and physical activity.

As project co-ordinator Cathy Morgan says, the objectives of the Food For The Family programme are:

To encourage whanau to become empowered and confident in the art of vegetable growing with the view of being able to provide a cost-effective and nutritional addition to the family diet
To encourage physical activity with the increased mobility involved in gardening
To provide knowledge of gardening and a desire for self-sufficiency, thereby role modelling for future generations, whilst raising awareness about diabetes and the advantages of making healthy lifestyle choices

Funded by the Primary Health Organisation Hauora Taranaki, the programme sources its clients through hui, self-referral and Sandra Humphreys. Clients are given plants, tools and watering cans if needed, and some dig the gardens themselves. The idea is not for Cathy to be the 'muscles' of the project, but to get the teenagers and whanau out in the fresh air to do the digging -- hence getting invaluable physical activity at the same time.

Education is an important component of Food For The Family, with clients given a resource book about what they are growing, with hints on buying plants and companion planting and how to make compost; as well as recipes and information about being active. A cooking class was held, teaching clients about alternatives to boil-ups (such as buying meat with the fat trimmed); oven-baking wedges instead of cooking or buying fries; using herbs instead of salt to flavour food; and making cheap meals with a combination of their garden vegetables and ingredients like cheap canned tomatoes.

"People in our area who are beneficiaries are limited to buying their groceries locally as many do not have transport to get to supermarkets or it's too far to walk, or they have always lived on frozen mixed vegetables," Cathy says. "They've been surprised that they can make nice food, and cheaply."

If clients have shown commitment, they may get their gardens replanted for them. So far 20 gardens have been planted through the programme, as well as a community garden in Waitara. Cathy says the response has been positive. "One client who has diabetes started losing weight, and he ended up planting vegetables in front of all the flats in his block. Another little boy grew his own cauliflowers. They enjoy just being able to go outside and pick their own vegetables and then use them -- it's great."

A team from Stepping Stones, a programme assisting people with disabilities into the workplace, has helped with the manual labour involved in setting up gardens. Stepping Stones promotes community participation rather than paid work.

Healthy Eating - Healthy ActionOranga Kai - Oranga Pumau

Articles and news storiesSowing the seeds of healthy eating

Healthy Eating - Healthy Action
Oranga Kai - Oranga Pumau

Articles and news stories
Sowing the seeds of healthy eating