Dave Ash, from Bethlehem, has eaten the same breakfast for more than 20 years.
“The 20-year breakfast is two crumpets, two or three slices of bacon, avocado and/or tomato.”
He’s one of many Tauranga residents learning to cook as an older person.
“It showed me I’m not eating enough veg and fruit.”
For many seniors, getting that five-a-day fix of fruit and vegetables can be a struggle – especially if they’ve lost a partner who traditionally did all the cooking.
“Senior Chef is a programme designed for over-60s,” facilitator Faye Mayo said.
“Often they’re only eating tiny meals, which aren’t as helpful, or buying ready-made meals that aren’t designed for seniors.”
Conversely, seniors who’ve cooked for others all their life can find it challenging to cook for just themselves.
“I needed ideas for how to cook for myself and not for a family,” Ohauiti resident Gillian McCalman said. “The ideas that have come out of this course are great.”
Tauranga resident Shirley Scott was looking for inspiration in the kitchen after her husband died 10 years ago.
“I’ve been cooking the same meals right through until now,” she said. “Wasting food was really upsetting me, so I wanted to come and find other ways of cooking for just one person.
“I found that I was carrying on with a lot of what my husband liked, and he was a truck driver who liked good, hole-filling meals. I carried on with roasts and things like that, but this course has shown me there’s a different menu that’s more nutritious than what I’m used to.”
As we age, Mayo said our diet can have a dramatic effect on our health.
“We don’t necessarily look at the salt levels, sugar and fat that are in the products we buy and how important that is,” she said.
“They can contribute to already existing conditions. Our bodies are ageing, so it’s important to support those healthy living styles for as long as we can.”
The eight-week programme is fully funded by the Waiapu Diocese, and participants take home a cookbook to help them on their culinary journey.
“Seniors need to have 25 per cent more protein,” Mayo said. “It’s not just looking at meat; legumes, lentils and other sources of proteins that you can find in fruit and vegetables.”
Besides basic nutrition, the course also teaches seniors how to “shop smarter” and use a meal planner.
“When you’re older, sometimes you’ve got to watch your money more carefully,” said Mayo. “One of the things we’re doing today is learning how to use a meal planner - looking at healthy, cheaper meal options.”
The course also looks at cooking the right amount of food for one person.
“When people are on their own, portion size is something people find very difficult,” said Helen Brown, from Tauranga. “All of a sudden, they’re not cooking up a big pot for their family or husband. I do tend to still do that, but I’ll portion it out and have it over the week.”
Mayo said a previous participant in the course couldn’t cook at all after losing his wife.
“Now he’s holding dinner parties,” she said. “He rang me a month after the programme ended and said, ‘I’ve held my first dinner party’.
“He’s doing it regularly now - he couldn’t cook to save himself before.”
The Senior Chef programme runs at St George’s Church in Gate Pā, St John’s in Ōtūmoetai and at the Papamoa East Anglican Church.
The couple spend five months a year in America running their business.