Home-grown sensations

FOR a busy family, eating healthy, fresh and local can seem impossible.

So in a move to take the guesswork out of good food, Maleny Supa IGA has employed Mapleton local and super-mum Rebecca Mugridge to dish the details on healthy eating.

Maleny Supa IGA marketing consultant Lisa Blainey-Lewin said the store was leading the way when it came to stocking local produce.

"They have great local products and people need to know how to use them," Mrs Blainey-Lewin said.

"It's all about coming up with ways we can use local producers to support the local industry."

This is where healthy lifestyle advocate and published author Mrs Mugridge steps in.

She has written two books; The Pram Diet and Healthy Happy Mumas, inspired by her own struggle to lose post baby weight.

Mrs Mugridge will write a weekly recipe for Maleny IGA, with each one featuring a local product of some kind.

"People love to support locals and sometimes it's not that easy to even know what the local products are," Mrs Mugridge said.

"The ingredients themselves are always really exciting; it's not every day sort of ingredients.

"Food can be fun and using local ingredients is a great way of being involved in the community, every shopper can make a difference."

Four weeks into her year-long contract with Maleny IGA, Mrs Mugridge has put together four delicious recipes including, Zucchini and Chia seed chocolate cake with Rosella Conserve, Macadamia Mustard Potato Salad, Haloumi Bread Salad and a Strawberry Granita.

Eating local is expected to have flow-on benefits for the whole community by encouraging cooking and the promotion of the region and local products worldwide through Mrs Mugridge's fan network.

Maleny IGA now offers online shoppers home delivery to most areas on the Sunshine Coast.

New recipes will be released every Monday on their website, Facebook page and in store.

For more information on Maleny IGA and access to recipes, visit malenyiga.com.au.