The Diabetes UK Cymru And Giovanni's Cookery School For Students With Diabetes

Although not related to the causes of the condition, food is closely related to type 1 diabetes and the insulin that we take in order to help manage it. Therefore the right nutrition is an integral tool in our diabetes management arsenal. Inspired by this, Mike, the type 1 lead and dietitian at Diabetes UK Cymru approached me about what I thought of the idea of creating a cooking school for people with diabetes. I thought it was a brilliant idea, so we got to planning with Giovanni's, a well established Cardiff Italian restaurant, who kindly agreed to be involved aswell.

Getting Our Cook On, in the Giovanni's Kitchen

The event came together a few weeks ago at the Giovanni's the Hayes, cookery school in the heart of the city. Cookery school attendees included students with type 1 diabetes aged between 18 and 30. The group was made of up those on injections, and those on insulin pumps, those who have been recently diagnosed and those who have had the condition for years. The aim of the night was to help equip the students with some basic tools involved in cooking from scratch, to gain some educational insight into food and diabetes and also to help them gain confidence in their cooking skills as they prepare to move away for uni.

Cooking with Fresh Ingredients

The agenda for the night began with a welcome presentation from dietitian Mike, who spoke about important macronutrients such as carbohydrates, involved in diabetes management. We then headed into the kitchen to meet chef Max, and to start to prepare our first starter. We made bruschetta with fried peppers in olive oil, bruschetta also with seasoned tomato relish and a beautiful tomato and mozzarella creation.

Our Italian Starter

After enjoying tucking into our starters, we returned to the kitchen to make our main courses. All of which were 'bake in the bag' style recipes, for low carb meal options. I chose to make sea bass, as I'd never made it before, and we were also taught how to season the fish using vegetables, herbs and seasoning. The fish only took about 20 mins to cook and was succulent and tasty. Following the main course, I delivered my presentation on a student with diabetes' perspective of savvy shopping and top tips to help save money but prepare nutritious meals.

Sea Bass in the Bag

The event was then ended with the making of a 'no-bake dessert' of cheesecake, using ricotta and soft cheese, accompanied by a buttery biscuit base, topped with fresh strawberries. The feedback from the event was very positive from participants. But this was clear from the rising noise in the room, that grew into laughter and chatter, as everyone got to know each other as the night went on. So not only did the event help boost the confidence of students in their cooking skills, but it also provided the opportunity  for young people with diabetes to get to know others with the same condition.