#MINDANAO
Whenever I travel to the National Capital Region I normally eat at canteens and eateries. What I notice is that the food choices are mainly a combination of protein and carbohydrates, or rice and a viand of meat or fish. There are often few vegetable choices. The famous go-to meal of tapsilog (a popular fried beef, egg, and rice combo) often has no vegetable component. I wonder if a daily diet concentrated on these rather limited choices makes one healthier. This drives me to be more conscious of the stuff I put in my mouth.
Recently, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the Philippine Chamber of Food Manufacturers issued a response to the National Nutrition Council’s proposed plan to adopt the Pan-American Health Organization’s (PAHO) Nutrient Profile Model (NPM) to establish the nutritional content of processed food and beverages. In a July 31, 2024 article in this publication, the two bodies advocated a more comprehensive evaluation or impact assessment of the proposed model on the food processing industry.
I believe this discussion can be an opportunity to establish a healthier standard for processed foods. This is significant because the need for processed, stored food is highlighted during extreme weather events and disasters when we will likely be eating more canned, preserved, and processed foods. It will be vital for these food items to be as nutritious as possible.
I have two questions: Will the new standards encourage the use of more locally made raw food materials? Will adhering to such standards make our processed foods healthier and more affordable?
Being a biodiverse country, we have access to various raw food materials that can add nutrients to our dishes. Perhaps it is time for innovative research from our State universities to see how more of these raw materials, such as local plants, for instance, can be integrated into processed foods or even recipes. The ubiquitous Moringa (Malunggay), which is easily grown and processed as a food additive powder comes to mind. Being easy to grow, this creates an opportunity for local producers and farms and spurs higher volumes of production that can lower overall costs due to higher scales and mechanization.
I think this discussion is a chance to examine our own diets and menu choices both at home and from food service providers. I believe it is time to ask ourselves if what we are eating helps us achieve a healthier lifestyle considering our regular volume of physical activity and health conditions and challenges, as many have to deal with lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
In my case, I am prompted to add more nutritional variety such as vegetables and fiber to my daily diet as a balance to the typical protein-carbohydrate mix. I hope our local culinary experts and nutritionists can take up this challenge to mainstream healthy recipes that use more nutrient-packed vegetables.
Beyond this, I think the National Nutrition Council and the private sector can promote food and nutrition standards to inform the food service sector and the consuming public on the type of food consumption patterns that make for healthier lifestyles, especially for our growing children.
These combined efforts can not only make us healthier but can spur more self-grown vegetables to augment our household food stocks. As I have written previously, condominium complexes in our urban centers can grow their own vegetables in pocket and roof gardens. This ensures that fresh vegetables will be available for urban residents, any time.