Changing Diets, Changing Lives: The Bags of Taste Food Resilience Programme
We work with some of the most vulnerable in the UK to support them to improve their diets for the long term.
People living with multiple challenges and disadvantages often make poor and expensive food choices leading to nutritional inequalities which affect their finances, health, mental health and families. The causes of this are often misunderstood. We are experts in these social determinants of health and our programmes help participants overcome these barriers to a better diet and life.
A Recipe for Life-long Change
By working with participants to tackle the underlying issues that are preventing them from cooking and eating a healthy diet, we provide a recipe for life-long dietary and financial change.
We know, after years of supporting thousands of people experiencing poverty and many challenges in their lives, that they need in-depth, personalised support from people who have a deep understanding of the underlying issues they are facing.
Our programme is evidence led and designed with the input and evidence of thousands of participants to address the underlying reasons why people in poverty make unhealthy and expensive food choices. We help them to eat tasty, affordable and healthy food, and make that a habit.
Independent evaluations and feedback we get shows that they are happier, healthier and sustain necessary changes to their diet, health and finances. This has a powerful positive impact on them, their families, friends and future generations.
Our Mentored Programme – Accessible, Inclusive and Flexible
The people that we work with face multiple challenges in their lives. Finances, time, families’ food preferences, lack of equipment, caring responsibilities, disability and ill health all play their part in defining the food choices open to them, and their access to services.
We are able to reach and work together with those who are farthest away from being able to access community group settings. They may feel uncomfortable joining groups, or have physical limitations that make travel hard. Parents of young children, or carers who can’t leave their relative alone. Those with chaotic lives or on shift work who struggle to show up in a particular place at a particular time.
By connecting with people on WhatsApp and over the phone, we are able to support them at the time of their choosing, and without the demands of a face to face course.
Elements of what we do reduce social isolation for many; we also build confidence, which allows participants to engage with society in the future.
We show people that healthy eating is not only good for you, but fun, tasty and even social, and help them to build their habits for the long term.
The Bags of Taste programme covers a wide range of skills that help build independence and resilience.
Who we work with
Reaching people with the greatest barriers to cooking is our first priority. Ahead of any course, our staff work with a range of referrers across their location.
We work with a range of charities and public health organisations, including social prescribing, the NHS and community projects that tackle mental health, addiction, debt, social isolation and disabilities – this helps us identify and reach out directly to people.
To learn more about the cohorts we reach and the challenges they face, click here
Campaign and educate
A key part of what we do is represent the people we work with and give them a voice. We have worked with government advising on policies and national strategies and a number of universities where we lecture on the issues surrounding the challenges that people face to eating a good diet.