A free, four-week ‘JUST COOK 4 Healthy Ageing’ course designed to encourage older people to improve their skills, motivation or confidence around cooking will be held on Wednesdays at St John The Evangelist Anglican Church in Royal Oak from 14 June and at St Michael’s Anglican Church in Henderson from 26 July.
JUST COOK 4 Healthy Ageing is a fun, practical, ‘hands-on’ cooking and nutrition course for older people who have limited or no cooking skills and want to learn to cook, or those who wish to re-kindle their interest in cooking. The programme is free-of-charge, with all ingredients and equipment provided, and is open to seniors who live alone or care for a partner.
Held over four consecutive weeks, each class lasts three hours and includes morning tea and lunch. Facilitated by nutritionists from the NZ Nutrition Foundation, each session involves cooking a meal which is then shared with the group. The course also offers tips and advice on healthy eating, menu planning, affordable food options and budgeting.
The ‘JUST COOK 4 Healthy Ageing’ programme has recently been developed by the NZ Nutrition Foundation. It is an extension of their ‘JUST COOK’ programme designed to encourage people back into the kitchen, with the objective of improving health and wellbeing. The Minister for Seniors, Hon Maggie Barry, provided funding from the Community Connects Fund to develop the programme. The roll-out of the programme for seniors is being funded by The Selwyn Foundation – a registered charity* that provides a range of services for older people – in partnership with the NZ Nutrition Foundation.
Selwyn’s Community Programmes Manager, Heather Whineray, says:
‘JUST COOK 4 Healthy Ageing’ is a wonderful opportunity for older people living alone in the community – or who are living with one other person – to renew their interest in cooking and eating healthily, and to make friends whilst learning in a fun and supportive environment.
‘The programme aims to inspire confidence and build cooking skills in people who lack experience in this area, and to show participants how nutritional wellbeing in older age can enhance health, independence and quality of life.’
