An innovative cooking program, the first of its kind in Australia, is being offered at Perth Children’s Hospital, combining nutrition education and practical cooking skills for teenagers living with type 1 diabetes (T1D).
Funded by Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation, two successful Teaching Kitchens workshops were held where staff from Perth Children's Hospital and The Kids Research Institute Australia provided cooking lessons to adolescents living with T1D.
From pasta dishes and rainbow beef stir fry to quesadillas, the Teaching Kitchens workshops are a hands-on way for teenagers living with T1D to engage with their health and create positive learning experiences with food, and relationships with their peers.
As well as learning to cook meals, participants were given tips on creating a well-balanced meal and practising mindful eating from a multidisciplinary health team of endocrinologists, dietitians, diabetes nurse educators and psychologists.
Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong autoimmune metabolic disorder and is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood, affecting about 1200 children and adolescents in Western Australia.
It requires complex daily management, including insulin administration via injections or a pump, regular self-monitoring of blood glucose levels, physical activity and, of course, diet.
Perth Children’s Hospital endocrinologist and The Kids Research Institute Australia Diabetes Exercise Research Lead, Dr Vinutha Shetty, said food was a large part of managing T1D and could be overwhelming for many.
“This program aims to help give teenagers the skills and confidence needed to manage their T1D through the teenage years and into adulthood,” said Dr Shetty.
“As a child is developing and gaining independence, the food and nutrition responsibility shifts to them. We want to help this transition to be positive for healthy sustainable habits.”
By empowering teenagers with healthy skills for life, we can reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease and health care costs.”
Sixteen-year-old Peter Stout took part in the Teaching Kitchens pilot program and said it taught him to make healthy choices, as well as mindful eating and other useful tips to cook on his own.
“I have made some of the meals from the program for my family and have also started to make some meals from a cookbook for diabetics.”
The Teaching Kitchens program has been made possible through funding from Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation, with support from Farmer Jacks in Subiaco.
“We are proud to fund Teaching Kitchens, a program that teaches teenagers living with type 1 diabetes how to cook nutritious meals, while at the same time, equipping them with practical ways to better manage their health,” said Carrick Robinson, CEO, Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Watch the Channel 9 news report here