Retirees cook up a storm

Lakes Estate Retirement Village residents are learning to cook healthy meals digitally.

Tate Papworth

Residents of Lakes Estate Retirement Village are embracing technology and learning to create some culinary delights.

The Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food Australia program is taking Taylor’s Lakes residents through tutorials, teaching the skills and knowledge they need to look after themselves through diet, as well as connecting residents during times of increasing isolation.

The cooking tutorial, seen by more than 4000 residents and community members in 2019, has encouraged participants to feel more confident in cooking meals from scratch and to spend less money on takeaway foods, as well as how to increase their vegetable consumption by over half a serve per day.

Amy Hogan, national manager of group sustainability at Stockland, said it was much more than a chance to cook.

“The program also creates new, and strengthens existing, social connections, and also helps to reduce loneliness,” Ms Hogan said.

“It’s important that residents not only learn some new tools to eat smarter and healthier, but also connect digitally with one another.”