SuperGrans know what to do! Our life skills work is exactly as research suggests to rectify this situation. We’re just
need to be in more communities to create real, measurable change.
An article by in SPINOFF a couple of days ago told us that children are not eating enough vegetables and was headed that
we ‘don’t know what to do about it’. The recently released research headed by Auckland University referred to in this
article recommended a systemic approach to turn around the significant impact of this situation on the health and
wellbeing of our children. Key elements proposed include the exact life skills work that SuperGrans happen to provide.
The study confirms that ability to learn and work, along with better health can be improved with more vegetables and
fruit in diets. Our whanau, our communities and ultimately New Zealand deserve this opportunity.
The study tells us that the problem has arisen because of the poor availability and access to fruit and vegetables,
affordability issues, and factors relating to cooking meals with fruit and vegetables like lack of time, food knowledge
and skills not passed through generations and children’s preferences often not being fruit and vegetables because
they’re not accustomed to them. Those most affected are living in low income households.
SuperGrans mentoring work with people is about skills to grow your own food, understand nutrition, cook quick, low cost
and healthy family meals, overcome the barriers to help normalise vegetables on the plate and vegetable based meals,
getting the kids involved in all this. If you haven’t had the opportunity to learn these skills, takeaways and
convenience foods are the logical alternatives but we’re missing out on the fruit and veg this way. SuperGrans work on
marae, we work one on one, we do workshops, driven and designed by the people who are growing from these skills.
As the study suggests, working alongside industry to market healthy food to children would really help.
Yes, providing fruit and vegetables in early education facilities and schools is an answer to the problem but we need to
also be considering a long term approach. As the study endorses, the way is to role model and grow the
inter-generational sharing of these skills. This is what SuperGrans mentor. Sharing the knowledge and wisdom of our
mature people with those starting out and encouraging them to share likewise.
SuperGrans is currently providing life skills mentoring in 9 locations around New Zealand and is seeking to grow in
further locations.