A series of Helti Kakae, Helti Famili videos are being released on Wan Smolbag’s Facebook page this week to give families across Vanuatu inspiration for cooking food that is delicious and healthy.
The recipes showcased can be used at any time of day, from breakfast to school lunches and family dinners. Every recipe contains “tri kaen kakae”, or three food groups, as well as nutrition tips.
Meals include fish cakes with salad and steamed laplap manioc with beef and vegetables – and they are delicious, according to community members who benefitted from a live demonstration.
“I think it’s very important that in our homes we prepare meals in different ways, not just use one style of cooking every day,” one of the community members stated.
“I love the taste and the vegetables used in the salad and fish cake and I can’t wait to go back home and prepare this style of cooking for my family to eat.”
The series of five videos, hosted by Shirley Jacobus, Jimmy Jurin and Marieth Johnson, has been produced by Wan Smolbag with support from CARE Vanuatu through the Helti Kakae, Helti Famili project, funded by the European Union and the Australian Government, through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership.
“We loved creating and cooking these recipes – we hope you love them too,” says host Jacobus.
“Every recipe is using fresh vegetables grown right here in Vanuatu and are really good as well as being affordable. We are proving that healthy food can also be really delicious.” CARE Vanuatu’s Recovery Manager Jill Aru adds: “We know it can be hard to feed a family, especially when money is tight.
“We hope these videos will help make it easier for families to eat food that is nutritious, affordable and tasty.”
This initiative of giving tips on how to cook healthy, tasty food is part of the Helti Kakae, Helti Famili project, which aims to improve families’ food security in Tropical Cyclone Harold and COVID -19 affected communities.
This project helps families to grow fast growing, nutritious food with seeds and inform about new crop varieties and how to grow them. It also contributes to boosting women’s voice in household decision-making through family financial management workshops for men and women, among other activities.