A new Healthy Food Made Easy programme has recently begun, delivered by the East Limerick Traveller Programme, supporting members of the Traveller Community to build confidence in preparing healthy, affordable meals.


Building Skills Within the Community

In 2025, Joanna Lenihan and Nora Mooney of the East Limerick Traveller Programme completed facilitator training for the Healthy Food Made Easy programme, which is run and funded by the HSE.

This week marks an important milestone, as they begin delivering their first 6-week programme to members of the Traveller Community — a positive step in building skills, confidence, and knowledge within the community itself.


What the Programme Covers

Over the course of the programme, participants will:

  • Prepare a range of tasty, nutritious recipes from the 101 Square Meals cookbook
  • Learn about healthy eating and balanced diets
  • Develop basic cooking skills
  • Gain knowledge in food safety and hygiene
  • Explore budget-friendly meal planning
  • Learn practical tips for baking for the family

The programme is designed to be hands-on, accessible, and relevant to everyday life.


A Positive Step Forward

This initiative represents a valuable opportunity:

  • For facilitators to build their skills and leadership capacity
  • For participants to gain practical knowledge and confidence in the kitchen
  • For the wider Traveller Community to access healthy, affordable cooking skills

It also highlights the importance of community-led learning, where knowledge is shared in a supportive and familiar environment.


Looking Ahead

The programme will run over the coming weeks, supporting participants to make small, positive changes that can have a lasting impact on health and wellbeing.

We look forward to seeing the outcomes of this programme and the continued development of community-led initiatives like this.

East Limerick Traveller Project