Students and residents tackle obesity with community cookbook

Kirkby residents and Nutrition students fight back against obesity with new community-created cookbook.

Residents from Kirkby in Knowsley and LJMU Nutrition students have created a brand-new cookbook with a Mediterranean-inspired diet to help try and curb the issue of obesity and its associated health risks, such as fatty liver disease.

The cookbook is a collaboration between the Nutrition students, local community groups and doctors and patients from the Millbrook Medical Centre in Kirkby and is backed by leading liver specialists from Aintree hospital.

The Kirkby Kitchen Cookbook features 26 healthy recipes that can all be cooked in an air fryer or slow cooker and replicate family favourite meals such as fish and chips or chicken nuggets, but with simple twists that make them more nutritious and better for your overall health.

Cost has also been considered in the creation of the recipes which use simple, easy to source ingredients and each meal is fully costed to help people to balance their budgets as well as their diet.

Nutrition students Niamh Stevens, Lauren Coles and Amy Gledhill worked closely with community groups including Northwood Mums and Centre 63 as well as with patients from Millbrook Medical Centre in Kirkby and Aintree University Hospital to compile the cookbook. The group also had input from doctors working in primary care, diabetes and liver medicine in addition to an Association for Nutrition registered nutritionist. The project was funded by the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board.

Dr Katie Lane, Registered Nutritionist and Senior Lecturer from Liverpool John Moores University says: “The Mediterranean diet is well-evidenced  to be one of the healthiest diets worldwide. This cookbook aims to improve the health of the residents of Kirkby by adapting already loved recipes into the Mediterranean style. By making small changes, you can reap the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, without having to give up the foods you love.”

Dr Theresa Hydes, Liver doctor and researcher at the University of Liverpool says: “A common side effect of obesity is fatty liver disease which can increase your risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. Luckily fatty liver disease is reversible. Eating a diet which contains more vegetables, pulses and lentils, fish and white meat and less saturated fat and sugar, fizzy drinks, ready meals or takeaways, and processed or red meat will lead to immediate and long-term health benefits including weight loss and a lower risk of heart disease and cancer.”

Cllr Christine Bannon, Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for Health says: “This is a brilliant initiative to improve the health and wellbeing of so many people in Kirkby and beyond. In collaborating with the community, the students from Liverpool John Moores University have been able to understand the challenges people face when trying to improve their diet, be that cost, skill or confidence. They’ve produced a simple cookbook alongside some fantastic supporting resources – including instructional videos – to make sure that people can take control of their health through their diet.”

The cookbook is free to download online at https://www.kirkbykitchen.co.uk/

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