On the road to a healthier choice

Derek Hinton, owner of Sheila's Meals, was the first to sign up to the 'Eat Well, Live Longer' scheme.

On the face of it, Sheila’s Meals in Lea Cross seems like a traditional roadside mobile catering unit, with customers being greeted by the scent of bacon and sausages cooking on the hot plate.

However, owner Derek Hinton has taken to heart Shropshire Council’s ‘Eat Well, Live Longer’ scheme and is offering his customers some lighter options, alongside the traditional roadside food favourites.

Derek was contacted by Shropshire Council’s health protection and prevention team about the scheme and the assistance it could offer his business.  He agreed and, working together, they have introduced several small changes to Sheila’s Meals operations.  In doing so, he became the first business in the county to get involved in the scheme.

The most noticeable change at Sheila’s Meals has been the introduction of healthier choices to add to the existing menu, as Derek explained:

“I now sell apples, bananas and other fruits as well [as traditional roadside favourites]. We have wholemeal bread to use for the sandwiches and some yoghurts too.”

However, Matthew Aldridge, Shropshire Council’s health protection and prevention team manager, explained that the ‘Eat Well, Live Longer’ scheme was not just about providing separate, healthier alternatives:

“The aim is to make healthy choices more readily available to customers by working with businesses and reducing the levels of salts, fats and sugars in foods produced and sold in Shropshire.

“Businesses don’t have to make radical changes to their menu but can do things such as including granary or wholemeal bread as a choice for toast and sandwiches, using an oil spray to minimise the amount of oil used, and reducing the amount of salt added to food by using salt shakers with fewer holes in.

“This is not about regulating businesses but offering support to make changes which in some cases can even save money, and help to encourage more business as customers are increasingly looking for healthier options.”

The approach of making small changes across the menu is being taken on board at Sheila’s Meals.  While cooking up a sausage and bacon roll for a customer, Derek drew attention to another change he made with the help of the council, saying:

“I now use low-fat oils for cooking.  It’s a spray can, so we use less oil at a time as well.  Only what’s needed.  I also use low-fat milk for the drinks.”

The changes at Sheila’s Meals are typical of the type the council are helping businesses to make across the county to support them in making the food they produce and sell healthier.

The team’s work with roadside mobile caterers and cafes, truck stops and caterers based on industrial estates is part of wider work by the council and partners to promote better health and well-being, including tackling rising levels of obesity in Shropshire.

After an initial visit to offer advice and information, together the council officer and business draw up an action plan, with the officer revisiting intermittently to look at how it’s working.

When talking about how these types of small changes had affected his business and the customers, Derek said:

“I’ve been a little surprised by what people have been ordering, there have been a few people ordering an apple or yoghurt which they couldn’t do before.  It’s about giving people that choice isn’t it?  It’s been a good result.”

Derek and Sheila’s Meals have embraced the scheme to provide healthier choices for Shropshire’s consumers and his parting words emphasised this goal:

“If people see it, they’ll ask.  If they don’t, then obviously they won’t.”

Further information

For more information on the ‘Eat Well, Live Longer’ projects you can contact the team on 0345 678 9000 or via email: food@shropshire.gov.uk.

Anyone in Shropshire who would like information and advice on living a healthy lifestyle can go to www.healthyshropshire.co.uk or call the Healthy Shropshire helpline on 0345 678 9025.

This number has been set up to provide a single point for people to go to for support with improving their health.  Advisers can help people looking to find out more about how they can be healthier, and prevent themselves or others from getting ill.