Ana Apatu: Healthy eating projects work

Ana Apatu.

U-Turn has various projects in place to support the wellbeing of Flaxmere whanau. Our community garden is one of our projects which provides access to free fresh vegetables.

I listen to Dr Robyn Toomath - a stalwart of healthy eating and obesity prevention. She is clearly frustrated with the lack of progress in obesity prevention - in fact she claims we appear to be slipping behind with 1 in 3 adults and 1 in 10 children now clinically categorised as being obese.

The ideology of personal responsibility is an interesting one. From personal to local communities to national strategies, this responsibility should be shared across all of us. Coke cheaper than milk? If I was a shift worker on a low income I am sure I would choose those "easier options". Bombarded by marketing, clusters of food outlets, dairies located close to schools these "obesogenic environments" absolutely affect the way we eat. Access and affordability has never made it easier to buy and consume energy dense foods.

On the flip side we are extremely fortunate with the abundancy of low cost fruit and vegetables in Hawke's Bay. Growing up I was surrounded by family and friends who would always be sharing seasonal food. My Apatu family have always produced vegetables, we always had an abundance of them and so vegetables were always a part of what we ate. Inherently we are food swappers.

This past week I have had limes, lemons, walnuts and feijoas given to me. Living on my family land my brother provides meat. Right across from Te Aranga Marae Bostocks Organic Kitchen on Kirkwood Rd provides an excellent example of making healthy nutritious food more accessible. I can lunch for $9. This will typically comprise one protein serving with two vegetable servings. Organic delicious food. With living on my own I could not prepare that same meal for $9.

I meet with my friend Sally Forde for her birthday and enjoy their menu of the day, Bostocks Organic Moroccan Chicken, roasted cauliflower salad withchickpeas and spiced pumpkin prepared by chef Arnault Vallee.

The impact of this kitchen has been impressive with stories of employees such as Lawrence Nathan who for lunch would buy pies, chips and fizzy but now eats from the organic kitchen. Lawrence would spend $140 a week on takeaways but now only spends $45 at the organic kitchen. Apart from saving $100 a week, he has really noticed the difference with his health. His gout has diminished, he has lost weight, not to mention the impact this has made with his family.

"Our family did not eat greens in the past but now we are eating vegetables regularly and I avoid fast food now."

Information with what to eat and what not to eat needs to be simple so we learn to eat more vegetables and fruit. When working with the Heart Foundation - I learnt of simple ways of promoting the right amount of meat/protein. A serving of meat on one's plate should not be more than the palm of your hand. Pile that plate up with vegetables and no sugar.

The Hawke's Bay District Health Board has recently released its final draft of its Best Start Healthy Eating with the premise that the best way to prevent obesity is that the first few years lays the foundation of healthy weight in adulthood. So healthy eating during pregnancy, breastfeeding and introduction of solids no earlier than six months, and the right solids - First Foods.

Plunket Hawke's Bay District Health Board and U-Turn Trust are in partnership with First Foods ensuring our young mums in Flaxmere have access to the garden. I am a firm believer we can make a difference locally. Local government could push sugar-free events. We could do more with supporting our families to make the right choices. Wouldn't it be great to have a franchise of Bostocks Organic Kitchens littered throughout Hawke's Bay competing with the fast food giants. Really we can't afford not to.

- Ana Apatu is chief executive of the U-Turn Trust, based at Te Aranga Marae in Flaxmere.