EATING healthily needn't cost a packet -- and just remember: you are what you eat.

It is one of the biggest food myths that having a healthy diet costs money, and lots of it at that.

But eating on a budget needn't mean that flavour and variety are compromised -- and that is the message that a new project is trying to get across to families in one area of East Lancashire.

The OK Cafe is Burnley's first community cafe and it is urging its customers and volunteers to kiss burgers and chips goodbye in favour of healthier and tastier options.

The cafe was launched in January as part of the South West Burnley Community Development Trust's work at the brand new Enterprise Centre off Rossendale Road.

It is a meeting place for families on the neighbouring estates and a place where they can get tasty, healthy food that won't break the bank.

Development worker Ian Gibson said: "The cafe is run by the community for the community on a not for profit basis. Local residents are on the cafe's steering committee and have helped me to transform an empty room in the Enterprise Centre into a cafe with all the facilities it needs.

"The cafe will also soon be linked to an allotment team and the hope is that in a few months organic vegetables will be grown by local people for use in the cafe.

"The main emphasis of the cafe is on healthy eating that is good value for money and we are trying to extend that to helping people how to cook healthy meals for themselves at home.

The cafe is run by volunteers from the local estate and Ian has helped 15 of them complete their basic food hygiene course.

Supported by the European Regional Development Fund, the cafe is open three lunchtimes a week and Ian is hoping this will be extended and include breakfast sessions.

The menu offers sandwiches and jacket potatoes with a variety of fillings for just £1 and has a daily specials board offering meals such as quiche and salad, and tandoori chicken and rice for £1.60. Chips are on the menu only once a week and diners can enjoy snacks such as lentil and vegetable soup with a roll and butter for 60p and bakewell tart for 50p. Ian said: "We have a single father on the estate who is a fully trained chef and he is hoping to get enough volunteers together to run a breakfast service in the mornings. And he is also planning to run cookery demonstrations to help people choose healthier meals at home.

"Another plan we have is to ask people what their favourite frozen ready meals are and show them how to make them for themselves with cheap, fresh ingredients. This way people will have control over what is going into their food."

Volunteers at the cafe get a free lunch and training from Burnley College which also uses the centre.

Ian said: "The cafe is a meeting place. We have only been opened for six weeks, but we have had a really positive feedback from local residents."

Shana Hindle, who lives on nearby Cog Lane, said: "The cafe is really good value for money. It provides good, good basic cooking which is affordable for the local community. It is a really good place to meet people as well.

"I run the single parent development group at the centre and all the single parents from that group use it."

To get involved or find out more about the OK Community Cafe call Ian Gibson on 01282 838669.

Picture: Volunteer Glynes Kennedy (left) and assistant community development worker Sandra Wilkinson dish up a plate of vegetable curry at the OK Cafe in Burnley which is spreading the healthy eating message