By:
Jocelyn P. Alvarez
ZAMBOANGA
CITY,
June 18 (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!”
Maria Del Pilar
Pamela R. Tarroza, Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator, NNC 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 demand for
vegetables to help local vegetable farmers.
Tarroza said 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," Tarroza said.
Tarroza expalined, in 2005, the NNC commissioned
the Food and Nutrition Research Institute to determine the reasons why
Filipinos eat very little vegetables.
She said the study showed the following reasons for the low consumption of vegetables:
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 ; lack of knowledge on nutritional and health
benefits of vegetables.
Tarroza also shared some of the possible
activities that the Regional Health Training Center will be doing in
celebration of the July nutrition month.
Some of these
activities include simultaneous vegetable gardening in various communities and
schools set on July 2.
Distribution of
vegetable seeds and seedlings will also be conducted in coordination with
concerned agencies.
Planting materials
and gardening tools will also be distributed to concerned beneficiaries.
Lectures, seminars
and demonstrations on vegetable production, processing and cooking are also
included in the nutrition month plan of activities.
Other activities
include vegetable trade fair to showcase various vegetables in the locality; poster-making
contests on the importance of vegetables on the diet; parades or motorcades and
the conduct of vegetable cooking contest. (JPA/NNC/PIA9-ZBST)