Needs assessment and aims:

The Norwegian case is based on the Healthy Start project and aimed at creating a FOOD2GATHER “cookbook”. Providing nutrition education resources suitable for personnel working with newly resettled immigrants, at an early stage of the migration process can facilitate the adoption of healthier diets in a new food environment.

Action:

We visited a participants to a Norwegian course in Oslo and invited participants (mostly women) to share a recipe of food they usually make at home. We showed first some pictures on how we did it and invited them to do the same, Ingredients and way of preparations were written in Norwegian. During the class we wrote down recipes on the board. Finally we eat food together.

Evaluation/ lesson learned:

During this initiative we learned that food as a democratic vehicle for communication and learning and that sharing food and recipes is significant in fostering relationships and belonging. Food operated as a way of integration across different cultures, creating a «melting pot on the table». Finally talking about food and health generated forms of empowerment (as taking care of how health).

You can learn more about this experience by listening to this podcast https://open.spotify.com/episode/450CZDvGvCmJJnypQfVn5L

or by looking at this presentation. Norwegian cooking.pdf