Simple reminders to keep family well-nourished

Food is an integral part of survival. We must eat to live. Here are some reminders to keep the family healthy, productive and fulfilled:

• Choose a variety of foods everyday. No single food can supply all the nutrients the body needs. Be sure to include food items which are rich in carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals plus a lot of fluids. Confining food choices to a few kinds of foods usually result in an imbalanced diet.

• Serve the right amounts of food to your family. Control the amount consumed to prevent overeating, but serve enough to meet their nutritional needs.

• Use fats and oils moderately in preparing family meals for more energy. Oil can be reused four times without affecting food flavor if you add one part fresh oil to three parts used oil before each reuse. Before storing oil, remove burnt particles at the bottom of the cooking vessel to preserve its flavor and color.

• Remember that according to the Daily Nutritional Guide Pyramids for Filipinos, persons aged 7-39 years are allotted 6-8 teaspoons of oil or fat per day.

• Serve more often one-dish meals like sinigang, linaga, munggo gisado or bulanglang to name a few. One-dish meals offer a variety of nutrients from the different food groups. They are also economical since cooking only one dish saves energy, time and money.

• Prioritize the food needs of infants and pre-school children before serving other family members. Likewise, a sick child or family member needs more nourishment to fight infection and recuperate. Give soft, nutritious foods like fish, beans, eggs, milk, vegetables and fruits. Remember to consult a doctor for further advice.

• If you have an infant, remember that mother’s milk is the best. Breastfeed exclusively from birth to 6 months or longer, and then give appropriate complementary foods, as stressed by the second message of the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos 2000 (NGF) developed by a Technical Working Group led by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST).

• Keep a garden to grow plants the family needs, such as tubers (kamote, gabi), legumes (munggo, patani, kadyos), green leafy and yellow vegetables (malunggay, kangkong, camote tops, alugbati, petsay, saluyot, squash) and fruits (banana, papaya, guava).

• Food safety at the household level is of paramount concern. Wash hands with soap and water before and after cooking, before eating, and after using the toilet. The place where we eat food must be safe and clean. Always check if the ingredients are fresh and clean before cooking.

Follow these reminders to keep your family healthy and happy.

For more information on food and nutrition, write or call:  Dr. Mario V. Capanzana, Director, Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Department of Science and Technology, General Santos Avenue, Bicutan, Taguig City; Tel/Fax Num:  8372934 and 8373164; email: mvc@fnri.dost.gov.ph, or mar_v_c@yahoo.com; FNRI-DOST website: http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph. (FNRI-DOST S & T Media Service: Media Release - VICTOR J. ALFONSO, JR.)