The Public Health Nutrition team aims to improve the health of the Central Coast population through programs that address barriers to healthy eating for adults and children.
The team focuses on nutrition issues that affect identified community groups rather than the dietary needs of individuals. Current projects of the team include:
- Nutrition for Aboriginal people
- Promoting breastfeeding
- Nutrition in early childhood services
- Nutrition in school canteens
- Nutrition and low income/food security
- Nutrition for older people
Contact 02 4320 3691 or CCLHD-EatWell@health.nsw.gov.au if you require further information.
Nutrition for Aboriginal people
The Public Health Nutrition team is working with local Aboriginal organisations to improve the cooking skills and nutrition knowledge of Aboriginal families on the Central Coast.
Resources
Quick Meals for Kooris at Home (8 MB)
A practical food and nutrition resource to encourage and support healthy family food preparation at home. It contains nutrition information, quick and easy recipes as well as ideas to help Aboriginal people eat well and cook healthy, low cost family meals. It can be a standalone resource or be given to people attending a Quick Meals for Kooris practical cookery program.
Quick Meals for Kooris – Trainers Manual (4.4 MB)
A leader guide for people who are running the Quick Meals for Kooris practical cookery program
Quick Meals for Kooris recipe demonstration videos
You can watch how to prepare four of the quick, easy and low-cost recipes from the Quick Meals for Kooris at Home book.
Promoting breastfeeding
The Public Health Nutrition team is working to create a supportive environment for breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding friendly business kit (240 KB)
Information booklet for establishments that would like to participate in the Breastfeeding Friendly Recognition Scheme.
Starting Family Foods – Introducing your baby to solid foods
A guide to introducing your baby to solid foods. For parents of 0 to 12 month old babies.
Grandparents can make a difference (4.34 MB)
Nutrition in early childhood services
Children may spend eight hours or more each day in care. The NSW Ministry of Health recommends that children in care for eight hours or more be provided with at least 50% of the Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) of all nutrients. This recommendation applies whether food is provided by the service or brought from home.
Resources
Caring for children: birth to 5 years (food, nutrition and learning experiences)
Caring for Children – Food, Nutrition and Fun Activities was developed by the Public Health Nutrition team and is distributed to child care centres across NSW as part of the Munch and Move program.
The Good Bite newsletter
The Good Bite newsletter is a quarterly nutrition newsletter that keeps staff and parents at early childhood services up to date on current children’s nutrition issues.
Good Bite at home, July 2021 (444 KB)
Good Bite for childcare staff, July 2021 (462 KB)
Good Bite at home, April 2021 (178 KB)
Good Bite for childcare staff, April 2021 (134 KB)
Good Bite at home, February 2021 (567 KB)
Good Bite for childcare staff, February 2021 (566 KB)
Central Coast Childcare Cooks Network
The Central Coast Childcare Cooks Network is a support strategy for child care services offered by the Public Health Nutrition team. Cooks from centres across the Central Coast meet and swap ideas relevant to the setting and receive nutrition updates.
Cooks from all centres across the Central Coast are encouraged to attend.
Central Coast early childcare menu reviews
We encourage ECEC services to review their own menus using the Caring for Children resource. Reviewing your own menu helps give you a better understanding of how to plan a healthy menu.
However, the Public Health Nutrition team are able to review your menu and provide formal recognition of menus that are meeting the Caring for Children guidelines. If you would like us to review your menu please complete this form here.
Nutrition in school canteens
The Public Health Nutrition team and Health Promotion Unit work together to support local school canteen workers to implement the NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy to provide healthy, tasty food to children.
Some of the ways support is provided:
- arranging regular network meetings for canteen workers
- offering the annual Central Coast Healthy Canteen Award for primary schools
- telephone advice on products and other canteen issues
- menu appraisal and offering ideas for improvement.
For more information:
Central Coast Healthy Canteens
Nutrition and low income
The Public Health Nutrition team aims to improve access to simple, cheap and nutritious meal ideas for people on low incomes living on the Central Coast.
Resources
Back to Basics – tips to help you feed the family for less (626 KB)
This booklet aims to help you save money and make your food dollar go further. There are basic hints on how to spend less on items such as meat and snack foods. Simple tips on stocking your pantry and easy recipes to match will help you provide a variety of appetising meals and snacks within your budget.
Nutrition for older people
The Public Health Nutrition team aims to maintain or improve the nutritional health of community dwelling older people on the Central Coast thereby reducing the risk of malnutrition, falls, hospitalisation and readmissions to hospital and in doing so, enhancing their ability to remain independent and living in their own home for as long as possible.
The team provides written material and other resources to enable older people and their carers to receive practical and accurate nutrition information.
We can provide training to support staff from community service provider organisations on the Central Coast.
Resources
We have produced a number of leading resources for use across Australia.
Best Practice Food and Nutrition Manual for Aged Care edition 2.2 (6.2 MB)
The manual provides appropriate, practical and helpful food and nutrition information for all staff of aged care homes especially nursing and food services, dietitians and those who have loved ones in care.
This latest edition has been updated with a chapter on swallowing and food texture that includes International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) information. Edition 2.2 is available as a download only.
Eating Well booklet – a nutrition resource for older people and their carers (3 MB)
This 58 page book has been written to provide practical food and nutrition ideas and advice for older people who have unintentionally lost weight or at risk of malnutrition, their carers and support workers.
Eating Well – use when printing brochure in A3 size (1.54 MB)
This brochure provides a quick summary of the longer 58 page book
Note: We do not print or sell these resources. They can be ordered at no cost from Bidfood.
Eating for Health and Independence (1.27 MB)
A resource with recipes designed to keep frail older people as well-nourished as possible. Suitable for those receiving Meals on Wheels and Home Care etc.
Eat Well for Life. Nutrition for the well older person (758 KB)
Suitable for older people in good health who require who want the latest in nutrition to maintain good health.