Traditional Foods Reported by a Māori Community in 2004

This paper aimed to identify frequently consumed traditional foods at hui amongst Māori people living in the Waikato and Southern Lakes Districts, at the start of the Te Wai o Rona Diabetes Prevention Strategy. Responses from 2,669 self-identified Māori (90.5%) and members of the same household aged ≥28 years were analysed. “Boil-ups” were consumed at least annually by four out of five respondents and salad was the food most frequently consumed at hui (25.5%); followed by kaimoana (seafood, 19.6%) and meat (17.8%). When the marae was located within 5 km of the coast, kaimoana was more frequently eaten at hui and more often listed as a traditional food. Diverse tribal affiliations were also evident. Education in relation to the need to cut fat off meat, to skim fat off a boil-up and increase fruit consumption should be encouraged in any new community and environmental programmes designed to reduce the burden of chronic disease in Māori people.