Food on the table

"Knowledge, check. Attitude, check. Practice, how?"

Putting food on the table, for most Filipino families, is already a challenge given the high cost of living. Putting the right food on the table is even more difficult—and it’s not an issue of cost.

Nutritionist/ dietitian Jake Brandon Andal says that nutrition is the most neglected part of health care. “If we only put greater effort into minding what we eat, then perhaps we would not spend as much time and resources in overcoming diseases that come with our unhealthy lifestyles.”

Andal is now working with Greenpeace Philippines in spreading the word about how everything begins at home, indeed. Their team has gone to Pasig City and Davao City, and are about to go to Caloocan, conducting workshops among parents on how to start their children on good eating habits early on.

Vigie Benosa Llorin, Greenpeace campaigner, says the main obstacle is people’s mindsets—specifically, that healthy food is expensive, that children are naturally averse to vegetables, and that in this day and age, convenience rules.

“We want to focus on children, because the habits of adults are already difficult to break,” Llorin says.

But Andal says that the shift will not come overnight, and easily. One must first be aware that alternatives do exist and that they are doable right inside our simple kitchens and homes. This is exactly why their team is going around various cities, to take that first step and spread the word. Aside from basic nutrition information, they also conduct workshops on how to plan meals for, say, a one-week period.

Second, attitude. We change the way we think about vegetables. They are not “corny.” They are not expensive. Many dishes are not difficult to prepare, even for those who have to rush out of the house at a certain time to go to work. And the change does not have to be drastic—small changes, so long as they are consistently introduced, will suffice.

Third, practice. You’ve bought into the idea that we must change the way we eat, that a shift is not too late. Then it is time to actually set everything in motion. Foremost, parents have to set a good example by living healthy, as well. Make a meal plan—and stick to it. When in the market, go to the fruits and vegetables section first. Begin with introducing, and subtly, a vegetable variety or two in a familiar dish. Start with simple dishes. “You don’t have to whip up something really fancy like the ones we see on YouTube,” Andal says.

When dining out, consider restaurants that offer fruits and vegetable dishes as well.

Of course, individuals and families stand a better chance at changing their practices if they have help from outside. Local governments could encourage the trade and consumption of fruits and vegetables. Improve access to them. In schools and within a specified radius, enforce the prohibition of the sale of processed food. Serve only healthy meals in canteens. Teachers should also amplify the message against bringing processed food in lunch boxes.

Get to the root cause of malnutrition (undernutrition and obesity, both)—likely poverty—and ramp up poverty alleviation programs.

“LGUs should really invest in nutrition and healthy lifestyles because prevention will save a lot of money in the long run,” Andal says. “It is so much more cost effective to invest here rather than on medication and treatment of diseases that are preventable in the first place.”

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Meanwhile, writer and advocate Mabi David is using literature and art to spread the virtues of eating right among children. In her book “Paano Kumain ng Kulay?” translated into English by Karla Rey and beautifully illustrated by Yas Doctor, David encourages target readers between eight and 10 years old, to wonder how certain colors taste like.

She poses the questions: Does red tickle the tongue, is it surprising, and is green cool and sweet? Is yellow as delicious as blue, or is it rich and does it remind you of sunshine? Is white is fresh and restful, and is purple relaxing?

The book promotes the rainbow approach: If you eat as many colors, then you can be sure you get a wide variety of nutrients. Green cleanses the blood and removes toxins, red aids blood circulation, yellow fights inflammation, white builds resistance, orange fights infection and supports the immune system, and purple is rich in anti-oxidants as well as good for the heart.

“We’re encouraging children to be open to new experiences,” says David of her collaboration with Greenpeace in this project. “The book is an invitation to experience color in terms of the other senses. We encourage sensory play to tap into their imagination and curiosity.”

Launched in November last year, “Paano Kumain ng Kulay?” is available in Adarna House in Quezon City.

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