The importance of healthy eating for culturally and linguistically diverse communities is the focus of Multicultural Health Week 2024 which is encouraging everyone to get together to prepare healthy lunchboxes for work, school, or a day out.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park announced the theme for this year, ‘Celebrate culture through food with multicultural family lunchboxes’ and encouraged everyone to create delicious and healthy lunchboxes as a great way to teach children some positive lifelong habits.
One of Australia’s favourite chefs and multicultural health ambassador, Adam Liaw joins this year’s Multicultural Health Week to help promote healthy eating for adults and children by creating some family lunchbox recipes, as well as providing some healthy eating tips.
Research shows five serves of vegetables are recommended each day for adults for overall health and wellbeing and to help lower risks of cancer and chronic illnesses.
However, only four out of 100 adults and six out of 100 children eat enough vegetables. Studies reveal children eat about a third of their day’s food at school which is why it is important to add more vegetables to lunchboxes.
The Multicultural Health Week 2024 resources and program include:
Visit the Multicultural Health Week webpage and social media for more information and resources.
Healthy Eating Active Living is where you can find practical tips, tools, and free NSW Government programs to help you and your family make simple changes now to live healthier lives in the future. NSW Health also has a range of low cost, easy-to-make recipes for the whole family, including a weekly menu planner.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park:
“Multicultural Health Week is an important annual event which aims to improve health outcomes for culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
“This year’s theme is centred on promoting healthy eating, specifically emphasising the link between culture, diet and food as represented by the humble but very important lunchbox.
“Adam Liaw’s recipes will inspire families to build their own multicultural lunchboxes with delicious and healthy foods including vegetables and fruit.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Multiculturalism Steve Kamper:
“NSW is a diverse and cohesive multicultural society and the health and wellbeing of our multicultural communities reflects the health and wellbeing of NSW as a whole.
“At the last census in 2021, 8.1 million people called NSW home with more than 2.2 million people speaking a language other than English at home, higher than any other state or territory.
“Let’s come together to celebrate Multicultural Health Week and use this great opportunity to show support for multicultural communities, celebrate cultural diversity, promote healthy eating and connect with each other through sharing stories and food.”
Quotes attributable to NSW Health Secretary Susan Pearce:
“This year, I encourage everyone to get involved in Multicultural Health Week across schools, workplaces and community settings.
“These engaging resources will help all people, including culturally and linguistically diverse communities, eat in a way that is healthy and budget friendly.”
Quotes attributable to NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service Director Lisa Woodland:
“I’m pleased to take this opportunity to help launch the Multicultural Family Lunchbox Challenge in partnership with the Western Sydney Local Health District’s Prevention Education and Research Unit. This is a competition for young people from multicultural backgrounds to showcase their family lunchboxes, exploring healthy eating using foods from their culture.”
Quotes attributable to Chef Adam Liaw:
“I’m delighted to be part of Multicultural Health Week this year. Coming from a migrant family, I understand the unique challenges and barriers that multicultural communities may experience in accessing food and practising healthy eating.
“Whatever your background or culture, the way you eat at home can easily be your inspiration for healthy eating.”
