To help you meet the needs of your patients and clients , here are five ways to challenge your thinking and build your cultural food knowledge .
Start a conversation
In order to create a culturally appropriate menu , start by understanding the cultural backgrounds of your patients and clients . Engage with them and their families , ask questions , and learn in-depth about their usual at-home diet . Ask about their likes and dislikes , what foods they miss the most , collect favourite family recipes , and learn about traditional food preparation and cooking techniques . Never heard of a specific dish or technique ? Ask more questions .
Watch , listen & learn
Mix learning and leisure by tuning in to cooking shows and podcasts specific to different cuisines to upskill yourself in that space . SBS Food has a brilliant catalogue of shows , recipes , podcasts and articles from over 100 different cuisines . Some of our favourites ? Food Safari with Maeve O ’ Meara , Destination Flavour , and the Kitchen Conversations podcast .
Try new foods
It ’ s easy to think that we understand multicultural dishes because we have access to so many different cuisines , but the dishes at your local Thai or Indian restaurant are likely very different to traditional cultural meals enjoyed at home . Visit authentic multicultural restaurants and challenge yourself to expand your palette and try something new . Visit an Asian or Indian grocery story to learn about ingredients and practise cooking with them at home .
© Dietitian Connection 16 Infuse | October 2023