Noosa District State High School 2001 graduate Zane Hacker and chef to Antarctic researchers visited his former school last week to talk to Year 11 students about health, food and nutrition.
Chef and food author Mr Hacker has worked a number of stints over the past decade in Antarctica, feeding the scientists and researchers based in Australian camps on the frozen continent.
Mr Hacker assisted the students with their assignment on healthy eating, by providing the class with an informative and educational lesson on food, explaining how to best plan for a wholesome diet.
“Some cook books are organised by ingredients, not a particular dish. These cook books are most helpful when you open the fridge and you don’t see many ingredient options in front of you. As a chef, I often have to come up with a meal or a daily special based on what ingredients we have,” Mr Hacker said.
Mr Hacker spoke to the students about the importance of planning meals and how to read and interpret the nutritional information on packaged and canned food.
“Many people don’t realise that the order in which the ingredients are listed on a packet indicates how much of each ingredient is put into that food item. If it’s listed first or near the start of the list, it’s a main ingredient,“ Mr Hacker said.
Mr Hacker advised the class to plan ahead for any camping trips or weekends away and to always pack more food and water than they think they might need.
The students enjoyed a slideshow Mr Hacker shared of the impressive photographs he took whilst based in the Antarctic and which also feature in his book, Antarctic Sundays.
The students’ class, Social and Community Studies, is an elective subject offered in Year 11 and 12 that covers real world topics, with this term’s focus food, health, recreation and leisure.
