Queenslanders are set to be become better equipped to prepare healthy meals at home as Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food Mobile Kitchen will travel throughout Queensland teaching basic cooking classes.

The Good Foundation today announced that the purpose built kitchen classroom on wheels will commence its 2012 Program starting in Logan on Friday 20th January 2012. Developed with the support of the Queensland Government and electrical retailer The Good Guys, the 14m long Truck will travel to metro and regional communities teaching Jamie's philosophy on food and inspiring people back into the kitchen.



"Based on current trends, 3.7 million Queensland adults will be overweight or obese by 2020 and our Government is determined to do all we can to turn those figures around," Health Minister, Geoff Wilson says. "Obesity and chronic disease is largely preventable. About 4000 premature deaths could be prevented each year in Queensland simply by changing the lifestyles of Queenslanders."

"This partnership is about giving Queenslanders the tools and information to help themselves by learning basic cooking skills and building people's confidence in the kitchen, empowering them to make better choices about food."

"There is an urgent need to educate Queenslanders about preparing nutritious meals and help them to lead long, healthy lives, and this program will greatly assist us in this as it travels around the state," Geoff Wilson said.

Jamie's Ministry of Food Truck will offer a five-week cooking course, comprising of one 90-minute cooking class per week. Participants throughout the State will learn Jamie's hints and shortcuts to cooking simple, healthy and tasty meals using fresh ingredients. The course also covers meal planning, budgeting and shopping tips as well as key nutritional information.

"The truck will go into a scheduled location for 11 weeks and comes complete with a team of dedicated Food Trainers. Each class can hold up to eight participants and is completely hands-on so participants get to see, smell, feel and taste everything they cook," Jamie's Ministry of Food Australia Program Director, Alicia Peardon says.

"A truck is such an incredible asset for the Ministry of Food because it allows these life-changing cooking classes to reach loads of different communities, even if they're quite remote. It just shows that Ministry of Food Australia is doing everything it can to help as many people as possible." Jamie Oliver says.

The Queensland Government was the first state to partner with Jamie Oliver's highly successful Ministry of Food program, committing up to $2.5 million over four years to support its delivery through The Good Foundation.

Jamie's Ministry of Food was born out of the wartime food shortage and rationing crisis. These days it's a different type of crisis: it's about tackling the obesity crisis this country is faced. Cooking skills used to be passed down through the generations but now that chain has been broken. A rise in busy working families, the popularity of convenience foods and a lack of compulsory food education in schools has resulted in a generation of people who have not been taught the basics of cooking.

About the author: Alicia Peardon is the Programe Director, Jamie's Ministry of Food

www.jamieoliver.com/jamies-ministry-of-food-australia