Healthy eating campaign for homeless

Focus Ireland today launched a nationwide campaign to help improve the diet of homeless people and low income families.

The housing charity’s ’Eat Well Be Well’ drive includes food tasting sessions with its chefs and a free magazine with recipes and cooking tips.

Research by Focus Ireland found that many homeless people suffer from poor diets and inadequate nutrition due to low incomes and lack of access to cooking facilities.

The charity’s chefs will hold a number of tasting sessions in its centres and pass on tips on how to cook a healthy meal at an affordable cost.

Focus Ireland catering team leader Alison Cullen said: “The tasting sessions are to encourage people to try healthy food options they might not have tried before instead of convenience foods.

“We hope it is a fun way to help people to eat more healthily – within their budget – for their own and their children’s benefit.”

A free magazine, ’Eat Well Be Well’ is being distributed free to many homeless and low-income families.

It includes sample recipes for quick meals like Chicken Noodles and Corn and Potato Chowder.

An article about reducing the risk of heart disease by changing your diet is written by the Irish Heart Foundation.

Dietician Aoibheann O ’Connor also explains how to overcome problems with diet and appetite due to medical conditions or by not having the facilities to cook every day.

The magazine lists the advantages of fresh food over convenience foods and show how to read ingredients labels on products.

Dozens of homeless people already drop into Focus Ireland’s Coffee Shop restaurant in Dublin’s Temple Bar where a full dinner costs as little as 1.50 euro and a children’s meal is 75 cent.

Focus also provides food services across its transition, childcare and day services and homeless people who move into housing are also provided with tenancy and settlement support.

“The healthy eating campaign aims to promote better awareness of the importance of a healthy diet by providing information and advice on eating well - with a strong emphasis on nutrition and affordability,” added a Focus Ireland spokesman.