Recently, our dietitians ran the Healthy Chef Program for young adults with disabilities for the very first time to help them become more involved in the kitchen and learn about healthy eating.
What was the program about?
Over five sessions, participants discovered how quick and easy it was to make delicious, healthy and balanced meals. They learnt to use different vegetables to elevate some classic dishes that we all know and love. Most were surprised how good broccoli tasted on pizza!
Participants also learnt why eating a variety of foods from each of the food groups was important for them. They got to taste many different flavour and texture combinations from the selection of food available to them. Some participants tried certain foods/ingredients for the very first time and scored them a 5/5 for taste.
What were the outcomes of the program?
The program was a success as the participants were very excited and proud of what they were able to create. One of the participants acknowledged that a jam sandwich on white bread wouldn’t cut it for him anymore. Instead, he was impressed with how delicious and easy it was to make a sandwich with chicken breast, hummus, carrot, and cheese on wholemeal bread instead.
Other positive outcomes included:
- Social interaction and developing relationships in a group setting
- Developing skills using kitchen utensils such as knives, chopping boards, whisks, measuring spoons and applying them to develop cooking techniques such as mixing, whisking, chopping, measuring
- Motivation and developed interest in cooking, with one chef replicating the recipes at home getting the tick approval from his younger brother.
