Friday 26 April 2024. Food with Friends returned this month with a talk by Clare Kavanagh from Diabetes UK. Our signature cooked buffet was served after, opening the room for socialising and sharing a tasty, yet healthy meal!
Food with Friends has been running since 2022, initially kick-funded by a Community Inclusion Grant from Portsmouth City Council and now supported by the National Lottery Community Fund.
The objective for this project has been twofold: providing a warm and nutritional meal in a socially engaged space and reducing health inequalities.
This month’s event perfectly combined the two. As Clare Kavanagh explained, eating a healthy and balanced diet is proven to lower the risk of diabetes. The nutritional hot meal served at the event was used as an example.
Our speaker used a plate to demonstrate what the ideal portion size according to medical standards looks like. She also provided a booklet, containing cooking, shopping and eating tips tailored to the Asian and African Communities.
Studies indicate that the prevalence for Type 2 diabetes is higher among Asian, Black and minority ethnic groups compared to those of white ethnicity.
One of the key points emphasised during Clare’s talk was timely intervention by looking out for symptoms. Health conditions are often left to worsen, due to lack of information.
As Clare pointed out, eating healthily doesn’t need to be expensive or take away from cultural enjoyment. Raising awareness can help us identify a middle ground between tradition, practicalities and looking after our health.
It was lovely to witness the engagement from the audience. The talk sparked a lively discussion among participants, especially regarding recommended portion sizes.
We are glad to provide this health-education and exchange platform through Food with Friends, advocating for better medical outcomes among ethnic minority groups.
As always, we thank our funder: the National Lottery Community Fund and our continued collaboration with Shipa Ahmed Khan, Health Inequalities Lead at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.
