by GF McDade

Created on: October 15, 2009   Last Updated: October 17, 2009

A Northern Irish Chinese food takeaway owner has pledged to continue giving his customers the healthy option, having completed a nutritional awareness course with Belfast City Council in the capital. It is often difficult to find a truly healthy option on a take-out menu, so when I met Jeremy, I was pleased he was trying to rectify this.

Jeremy Chan from the Sinley in Cookstown, a County Tyrone town, was one of 50 chefs who took part in a workshop focusing on healthy Chinese style cooking at the Belfast Metropolitan College. Well-known chef Nancy Lam was also on hand to give the trainees some advice in a bid to put healthy eating back on their menus.

The course was run in partnership with the Chinese National Healthy Living Centre, Chinese Welfare Association, Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Belfast Healthcare Trust. The course was delivered in both Cantonese and English and, due to the level of interest, further training is planned over the next two years.

Jeremy told me he has had an interest in healthy eating for a number of years and is keen to continue giving that to his customers. He is also championing food suitable for those with the debilitating celiac disease.

"We've had healthy options on the menu for quite a few years now, as well as a range of dishes which are suitable for those with celiac disease. Chinese food is the most popular takeaway but many of our traditional recipes have been adapted to suit our 'westernised' palettes. When people go out to eat and enjoy a treat, it's important for us that we have a range of healthy food on the menu that they can choose from," he told me.

And he was keen to stress the importance of healthy eating and the benefits associated with it, including a reduced risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Politician, Councillor Cathal Mullaghan, chairman of Belfast City Council's Health and Environmental Services Committee, said Northern Irish diets tends to be high in fat, salt and sugar, and pointed out that MSG (monosodium glutamate) is often found in takeaways.

"At a time when obesity is making the headlines and healthy eating is becoming more and more important, we decided to run this cookery programme to encourage Chinese chefs to go back to their traditional recipes and put healthier options on the menu," he said.

Jeremy said he enjoyed the course and is now back at his take-out cooking up a range of sumptuous healthy treats for customers.

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