Eat more ‘gulay’ this July

How entertaining it must be seeing posts and memes online when people ask why July is the “Nutrition Month” the Philippines has to celebrate annually.

It all started with a presidential decree by then President Ferdinand Marcos. PD 491, known as the “Nutrition Act of the Philippines,” was enacted in 1974 and created the National Nutrition Council as the highest policymaking and coordinating body on nutrition. Currently, NNC is an agency under the Department of Health.

This year’s theme is “Ugaliing magtanim, Sapat na nutrisyon aanihin!” While this theme focuses on food production at home through the family’s own backyard, for others living in the city with no garden or farm, this seems to be impossible, unless one has the latest innovation where you can grow plants, fruits and vegetables indoor using sophisticated technology. Others have started popularizing Urban Farming, which is dubbed by advocates as an “appropriate technology” to address the lack of farming or gardening spaces in urban centers. This method uses pots or any recyclable containers where vegetables can be grown.

In most provinces and communities with more spaces, having a small garden is not a problem, where you can cultivate different varieties of plants that would serve as supplemental to the food consumption of the family. It’s cheaper, economical and logical to have one rather than buying costly veggies in the market. Who knows these might be riddled with pesticides and possibly, genetically modified.

With the rising price commodities, the need to catch-up with the essential food seemed far-fetched to those who cannot afford. They would simply rely on what is available on their table. They are more exposed to junk foods that are high with sodium, sugar, fats with little or no fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.

We all know about Go, Grow and Glow. The Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) designed a visual tool called “Pinggang Pinoy” healthy food plate for every Filipino adults to guide everyone consume the right amount of food in every meal.

Go food gives you energy for work and play and these would comprise food items that contain fats and carbohydrates. Glow food on the other hand keeps your body well, they are rich in vitamins and minerals, prevent many diseases. Fruits and vegetables are glow foods and these must be consumed the most. Glow helps your grow tall and strong, they are rich in protein and they can be found in meat, chicken, peanuts and beans. On top of these, we should avoid or lessen our intake with food that are high in salt content, oily and sugary.

People living in busy urban life would simply depend on fast food chain and instant food like noodles and ramen but this could ultimately cost their health later on. The risks have been higher and more people are getting sicker each day. For those who can afford, choosing the food to consume is not an issue, but for those who cannot, the burden is higher – to complete the three times a day of regular meal.

While the theme encourages us to plant within our backyard, the essence of having balanced and nutritious food matters the most. Let’s avoid the unhealthy ones. Eat more “gulay.”