Knowledge, Advice and Support for You to Thrive

Transform the way you eat and watch your life improve. At Reach Out, we’re excited about bringing new food perspectives to the community that can help them live a more balanced life.

Have you heard about our Nutritional Programmes?

ReachOut Healthy Living Centre uses nutrition and physical activity as a building blocks to promoting positive emotional health and well-being.

ReachOut HLC was awarded the Community Food Initiative for the Belfast Trust area for the 3rd consecutive time in March 2025, so between 2025-28 we will be delivering 3 small programmes and one large food health event large annually. This project is primarily directed towards families with children up to 12 years, but there is some flexibility for other groups to get involved. For more informative please email us at hello@reachoutni.org

To oversee this activity a Steering Group has been recruited and includes members of Food Standards Agency; Public Health Dietitians; Health Visitor; Belfast Health Development Unit as well as community colleagues.

The programme is delivered face to face in a community setting or participating families receive a voucher to purchase the ingredients for the recipes each week, and all family members can get involved with the cook from home programme.

The following video was produced following our Family Food & Fun Day on 23rd July 2025 in the fabulous Duncairn Centre for Culture & Arts.

Take it from some of our own...

It's been really nice trying new recipes that I wouldn’t even think of trying to make and staying on a budget.

Anonymous

I thought this looks so bland, but it was really really tasty and really impressed that the kids asked for more, it just shows you! It’s cheap easy, handy and healthy, so if the kids liked it, it’ll be made again, thanks.

Anonymous

The recipe is great, I made the French toast, so easy and great for the kids breakfast or lunch.

Anonymous

I’ve really enjoyed this programme. So nice to have one meal a week that breaks the hum drum of always eating the same thing. They have all been healthy and easy to make and even easier to adopt.

Anonymous

Cook it!

Cook it! and Food Values are nutrition programmes developed by Trust Dietetics services for use in local communities in Northern Ireland.

The programmes are used with a wide range of groups including young/single parents, young people leaving residential care, offenders during rehabilitation programmes, older people in sheltered accommodation and now people from certain black and minority ethnic (BME) groups.

The programme offers hands-on, practical experience of cooking and preparing food, as well as improving knowledge of healthy eating and food safety.

These programmes were a real lifeline for many families during Covid-19 lockdowns which saw the delivery of 16 programmes for 1190 family members production of 9308 meals. The learning from these programmes was that online was key as families could cook together when it suited them.

This led to the development of the Family Cook-along.

Hear from those involved in Cook it!

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting that full ingredients would be provided. Was very surprised to receive a lovely book and products. First one is done and it was delicious. I added one chicken fillet chunk while cooking onion. Little adaption to family needs, it’s a really good recipe for kids.

Anonymous

Cook it! Participant

Thank you for letting me take part in this, it was lovely in tough times.

Anonymous

Cook it! Participant

I’ve already got some of the ingredients for the meals in my next food shop coming so I can make them again. It’s been really nice trying new recipes.

Anonymous

Cook it! Participant

The videos were great, easy to follow I find videos better than reading the recipes whenever I’m making something I always follow the video on YouTube for me. All in all the cooking video style was a great success.