'Mums will feed the kids what we can - then don't feed ourselves'

Mum Kelly and her 8 month old baby son at the launch of the Kirkby Cookbook at Centre 63 in Kirkby
-Credit:Liverpool Echo


Mums in Kirkby have come together to battle a growing health crisis in one part of Merseyside. They have joined up with nutrition students from LJMU and the Millbrook Medical Centre to launch a brand-new healthy cookbook to help curb the issue of obesity.

Recent NHS data found Knowsley has the highest proportion of obese and overweight 10 and 11-year-olds in England. Additionally, three in four adults in the borough are overweight or obese and this number continues to rise.

According to NHS health advice, obesity can have a seriously detrimental impact on physical and mental health and can even shorten a person's life expectancy. The reasons for obesity are varied and complex but research shows the problem is more pronounced in deprived areas such as Knowsley.

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The 'Kirkby Kitchen Cookbook' aims to provide an easy, accessible and full-rounded approach to promoting healthy diet and offer vital support to mums like Kelly, who has a seven-month-old baby and a ten-year-old son.

The age gap between Kelly's children means there's a limited amount of suitable meals to satisfy everyone, but she said the 'Kirkby Cookbook' helps to show what can be done and is easily digestible. She added: "Trying to combine and create healthy meals isn't cheap sometimes and the kids can be fussy but I can now put stuff in the slow cooker and they love eating it.

Food is served at the launch of the Crosby Cookbook at Centre 63 in Kirkby today
Food is served at the launch of the Crosby Cookbook at Centre 63 in Kirkby today -Credit:Liverpool Echo

"I know a lot of parents in Kirkby and sometimes it's cost effective to eat on the go and it's hard to prioritise. It's easy to pick up those frozen chips or something else which is quick.

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"The way the world has been, some mums can't afford certain meals and we'll feed the kids what we can and then don't feed ourselves - which we all do.

"The cookbook is free which is a big thing and we've been involved in creating it. We've all got kids, so it is a lot better for us because there's a lot of recipes we can use. We can bulk buy the ingredients and use them for different meals and then freeze them for future use.

"It just nice to refer to and have a guide to make things clear and easier to organise."

The 'Kirkby Cookbook' is an online resource featuring 26 healthy recipes that can all be cooked in an air fryer or slow cooker. The meals are all costed and affordable and introduce simple twists on familiar favourites like fish and chips, scouse, chicken nuggets and spaghetti bolognese - making them more nutritious and better for overall health.

Student Amy Gladhill, 21, at the launch of the Crosby Cookbook at Centre 63 in Kirkby
Student Amy Gladhill, 21, at the launch of the Crosby Cookbook at Centre 63 in Kirkby -Credit:Liverpool Echo

Amy Gladhill, 21, is a LJMU student who helped create the 'Kirkby Cookbook'. She said: "This cookbook was designed to kind of give power to the community, so it's all the things they want to eat. It was their input and was co developed with them, their tastes and their lifestyles because some people haven't got time to be learning a whole new way of eating.

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"It's just bringing what they already do and just giving it the twist to be healthier."

The recommended meals are inspired by the Mediterranean diet which is well-evidenced to be one of the healthiest diets worldwide. According to the research presented by LJMU, the cookbook will help to improve the health of people in Kirkby by adapting already loved recipes into the Mediterranean style.

Another mum in attendance at the 'Kirkby Cookbook' launch in Centre 63 Community Centre has three boys including one-year-old baby, Joshua. She said: "I love using fresh stuff like fish and chicken but with three kids it's hard to make something everyone likes.

"Mealtimes are also busy busy in the house so sometimes it is easier to pop something in the microwave, but we try to feed them the best we can.

Families eat at the launch of the Crosby Cookbook at Centre 63 in Kirkby
Families eat at the launch of the Crosby Cookbook at Centre 63 in Kirkby -Credit:Liverpool Echo

"My son learned about making tortillas and he loved them so much and his brother did as well. He ended up pestering me to get more ingredients for it so he could make it again so it shows that the education around food is so important and a lot of these meals can be easily made and are really tasty."

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For many of the mums in attendance, there is an acknowledgement meals involving lots of ingredients can be intimidating and that has informed much of the content and layout of the Kirkby cookbook - prioritising accessibility and familiarity. 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.”

More details and recipes can be found here at the Kirkby Kitchen website.