Getting healthy on a budget is now easier thanks to a new cookbook, which was launched at 10.30am on Tuesday 11 September at Cessnock Hospital.

The ‘Healthy Budget Bites’ cookbook is a joint project between Cessnock Community Health and Samaritans Coalfields Healthy Heartbeat.

The guide is full of useful tips for the every day shopper to save money, save time and eat well.

Cessnock Dietitian Carmen Burgess said the initial goal of the ‘Healthy Budget Bites’ project was to deliver resources and information focused on healthy eating on a limited income.

"Professionals and volunteers working with families and individuals from lower socio-economic groups in the Cessnock LGA were requesting reliable and accurate information on healthy eating on a limited income."

"But this cookbook isn’t just for people on a limited income, everyone wants to save money while eating healthy food and this cookbook does just that."

"We’re hoping that this cookbook will become an important resource for community workers to provide accurate and reliable information on healthy eating, food budgeting, menu planning and safe food handling to the community."

Coalfield Healthy Heartbeat Project Coordinator Kathy Duggan said writing a shopping list, buying fruit and vegetables that are in season, freezing extra food, buying cheaper generic brands, and buying in bulk will make you a super shopper.

"Don’t shop when you are hungry, be aware of items with big bright tags that are not always on ‘special’ and always check your docket for mistakes in price or quantity and the special offers on the back."

To compliment this project, Samaritans Coalfields Healthy Heartbeat obtained a small community grant from the Cancer Council to assist with delivering a program called ‘Living it up at the cottage’. Participants of the group were from the East Cessnock Department of Housing community. The program included using the ‘Healthy Budget Bites’ resource and recipes. Sessions included providing information on healthy eating on a limited income, food safety and hygiene, label reading, cooking skills and a supermarket tour.

The ‘Healthy Budget Bites’ resource will continue to provide the basis for future community programs in the East Cessnock area and will also be available to purchase for the wider community.

In addition, the resource will be used as part of the "Good for Kids. Good for Life" physical activity and healthy eating project. This Hunter New England Health program is being run across the Hunter, New England and Lower Mid North Coast regions until 2010.

Funding for the project was sourced from the Cessnock Community Renewal Scheme.