Healthy diabetic cooking course comes to Warwick

Professional chef and SQIT Warwick cooking teacher Jamie Fischer is planning a safe and tasty menu for his hands-on diabetic cookery course in June in the local campus kitchen.
“This three-day course is designed for people affected either directly or indirectly, such as family and carers, to learn how to source and prepare interesting meals, which will satisfy a person with diabetes’ special needs,” Mr Fischer said.
“The emphasis is on simple but attractive meals as part of a balanced life-skills course with specialist input from local Queensland Health staff, a nutritionist and a physiotherapist,” he said.
All course participants will have access to these professionals through one-on-one and group sessions.
With national rates of obesity and diabetes rising steadily, Mr Fischer is looking forward to introducing an initial intake of 12 Warwick district residents to creative cooking using easy to find ingredients.
“We are taking a total package approach to managing all types of diabetes; my contribution will be to demonstrate safe and nutritious recipes, then help participants cook their own meals, which they can take home,” Mr Fischer said.
Health care professionals will explain how to understand food labels, carbohydrate exchanges, the glycaemic index, renovating recipes, portion sizes, healthy food choices and the importance of becoming more active.
“Each participant will receive a free diabetic cookbook,” he said.
SQIT Warwick intends to launch other specialised cooking courses later this year as well as taking the diabetic cooking course to Stanthorpe and Goondiwindi.
The Warwick TAFE is seeking expressions of interest to kick-start the first course for Warwick district diabetics. The course will be conducted between 9am and 1pm on three consecutive Wednesdays in June.
This course is run with the support of Queensland Health. To enrol or for more information, contact Jamie Fischer on (07) 4660 4637.