Nutrition education for families in the Pilbara

During May, our team delivered a series of nom! Children sessions across Hedland, Karratha and Roebourne,

supporting local families with practical nutrition education and hands-on cooking experiences, thanks to funding from Hancock Iron Ore and Telethon. 

In Port Hedland, we partnered with Hedland Well Women’s Centre to run a nom! Children session for mums with newborn babies, focusing on infant nutrition in the first year of life. Drawing on the Australian Infant Feeding Guidelines, we discussed when and how to introduce solids, key nutrients for healthy growth and development, appropriate first foods, and what to avoid. The session also explored texture progression, helping parents understand what feeding development should look like into toddlerhood. 

Participants then came together to cook recipes from our program resources and shared a meal.

Centre staff supported the session by caring for the babies, giving mums the opportunity to cook, connect and enjoy meaningful conversations with one another. 

We travelled on to Karratha to deliver a workshop at The Salvation Army, focusing on creating positive and stress-free mealtimes. Parents were provided with practical strategies to manage common challenges, from picky eating to routine building. As with all nom! Children sessions, participants prepared simple, nutritious recipes together while staff supported with childcare, before sitting down to enjoy the meal as a group. 

Next stop was Roebourne, working with families at Gurlu Gurlu Maya Child and Parent Centre, managed by One Tree. This session focused on budget-friendly healthy eating, equipping parents with tips to keep grocery costs down while still choosing nutritious foods. Families once again cooked and shared a meal together, with some children, and even some parents, trying new foods for the first time. 

Our last session for the week was at the Karratha Women’s Place, where we covered feeding the family on a budget and money-saving tips for grocery shopping, followed by cooking up some of our most popular recipes from our recipe books. 

Across all locations, the sessions provided a welcoming and supportive space for families to build skills, share experiences, and strengthen confidence in feeding their children well. Thank you Hancock Iron Ore and Telethon for your support in helping us teach parents how to make healthy food choices for their young children and families that can last a lifetime. 