Nourishing more than bodies 

The delight of biting into a fresh juicy apple or devouring a warm roasted potato are simple joys synonymous with many childhoods, but not all. There is no guarantee a child will eat fresh produce in their home as they grow up, or that fruit and vegetables are commonplace in their childhood diet.

On Cottage by the Sea programs, many children will try a particular fruit or vegetable for the very first time in our dining room. With the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) reporting that 94 per cent of Australian children don’t eat the daily recommended serves of vegetables, this doesn’t come as a real surprise.

Food as opportunity

"Food is an important and memorable aspect of any trip or multi-day experience, and that is very true of the Cottage experience. Healthy food is not something every child is exposed to at home, which makes eating three nourishing meals together daily on our programs a simple yet profound experience. The children often carry these food memories with them in the days, weeks and, as our Deakin research validates, even years to come,” shares Adam Wake, Cottage by the Sea CEO. 

Our 2024 report with Deakin University, The Impact of Cottage by the Sea: From Ripples to Waves, illustrates the lasting impact of food on visiting children’s memories from Cottage. According to the report: “In many of the discussions held with participants, the concept of ‘food’ became an important and enduring artefact in their collective memories for the affective memories it provoked.”

As continued in the report: “For some it may have been the first time they had tried a specific meal, and for others it was the sheer quantity of food available and the recognition that having three meals a day was a consistent feature of their stay at Cottage by the Sea.”

For these children, food was more than nourishment – it also represented opportunity. As explained in the report: “Later in life, on reflection, they also saw that their experiences at Cottage by the Sea, including the otherwise seemingly innocuous – such as being provided healthy food, clean clothing, comfortable bedding and healthy outdoor activities – all added to a sense of opportunity for how they could live their lives and the options available to them that might have not otherwise seemed possible.”

Food as connection

Last week, not only did program participants meet the daily guidelines for fruit and vegetable consumption – they exceeded it! Across two delicious dishes – a broccoli salad (broccoli, Brussel sprouts, spring onion, red onion, capsicum and apple) and gnocchi bake (pumpkin, spinach, sweet potato and corn) – the participants ate 10 different fruit and vegetables at lunch alone.

"When I saw the kids coming back for seconds, it made me want to cry with joy," shares Cottage by the Sea Chef Kylie, smiling as she rests her hand on her heart. "I was just really proud that they tried new things."

The feedback speaks for itself. Last month, a participant exclaimed, “Kylie is the best chef in human history!” The following week, another participant said, “Kylie is the best chef ever.”  At the end of each program, food is a common highlight the participants reflect on before they head home, with many also acknowledging the combined effort of staff and volunteers in the Cottage kitchen.

Cottage by the Sea illustrates how food is not just fuel for a day of activities and adventure – it is a connecting thread to a fulfilling life. From filling a child’s spirit with warmth to etching a special memory in the heart, children leave Cottage by the Sea with bellies full of food and opportunity.