The sizzle and chat project is run by the Women’s Activity Centre in Halifax, which primarily works with Asian women in the local community. The project aims to encourage healthy eating by adapting traditional recipes
As part of the project, people are invited to attend six weekly sessions that highlight how recipes can be made with healthier alternatives, the nutritional benefits of using certain ingredients and the costs of doing so.
The impact that cooking as an activity and of a healthy diet on mental wellbeing is also explored during the sessions with the aim of combating people’s low moods, stress levels and encouraging active participation in a social situation.
A project worker from the healthy living group also attends the sessions to offer nutritional advice and cooking instructions and people are encouraged to utilise the Trust’s health improvement services in Calderdale if they think they would benefit from these.
By the end of the six sessions, it is intended that:
- Participants will have developed a better understanding of the relationships between diet and health, including the impact this has on mental wellbeing
- By sharing knowledge and experience, people will have improved their confidence and increased their social contacts
- Families and friends of those who have attended will benefit from the healthy lifestyle message and learning that is brought back to the home environment
A community event will be organised at the end of the project to showcase the cooking skills of the women who have taken part and give people the opportunity to try the new, healthier recipes.