July is Nutrition Month

By Jocelyn P. Alvarez

Tuesday 19th of June 2012

ZAMBOANGA CITY, June 19 (PIA) -- The National Nutrition Council (NNC) office here will spearhead the 38th Nutrition Month celebration this July with this year’s theme: “Pagkain ng gulay ugaliin, araw-araw itong ihain!”

NNC Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Maria Del Pilar Pamela R. Tarroza, in a press statement said, this year’s celebration is aimed at increasing vegetable consumption as part of a healthy diet to address micronutrient deficiencies and non-communicable diseases; promote vegetable gardening as a source of additional food and income; and increase the demand for vegetables to help local vegetable farmers.

Tarroza added that this 2012’s nutrition month celebration focuses on vegetables for several reasons and one is that Filipinos are eating less and less vegetables.

“Based on food consumption surveys, Filipinos on average are eating less and less vegetables per day in the last three decades. From 145 grams per day of vegetables in 1978, consumption has decreased to 110 grams per day in 2008," she said.

Tarroza said, in 2005, the NNC commissioned the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) to determine the reasons why Filipinos are eating very little vegetables.

And the results of the study showed the following reasons: influence of family members who do not eat vegetables; dislike for vegetables because of taste and texture; preference for meat than vegetables; cultural beliefs about vegetables (e.g. eating squash can cause leprosy); vegetables are expensive; fear of chemicals and pesticides; vegetables require more time to prepare; preference for fast foods and instant foods; lack of supply; and lack of knowledge on nutritional and health benefits of vegetables.

Tarroza said some of the possible activities that the Regional Health Training Center will be doing in celebration of the nutrition month include simultaneous vegetable gardening in various communities and schools set on July 2; distribution of vegetable seeds, seedlings, planting materials and gardening tools to concerned beneficiaries; and lectures, seminars, and demonstrations on vegetable production, processing and cooking will also be carried out by NNC representatives.

She added that there will also be vegetable trade fair to showcase various vegetables in the locality; poster-making contests on the importance of vegetables in the diet; parades or motorcades; and a vegetable cooking contest. (JPA/NNC-PIA9 ZBST)