Talking good nutrition and eating healthy with locals
Experts in the field of health and nutrition engaged in a robust discussion about what they called hidden hunger which affects communities across the country.
Experts in the field of health and nutrition engaged in a robust discussion about what they called hidden hunger which affects communities across the country and the continent at the Soweto Theatre last week.
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Facilitated by news anchor, Naledi Moleo the conversation explored causes and possible solutions to hidden hunger for children and adults in our communities.
Matlou Setati from the Consumer Goods Council, Dr Tiny Mhinga, a renowned medical practitioner, dietician Dr Lucia Meko and Sandy Bukula from Operation Hunger were all panellists in the discussion hosted by Nestlé.
Hidden hunger is something that has to do with under-nutrition and over-nutrition which leaves the body vulnerable to diseases.
This is usually caused by an unbalanced diet which does not have enough micronutrient the body needs for development. Because micronutrients are so small, it is easy for them to diminish when the food is being processed or cooked.
Mhinga attributed the challenge of micronutrient deficiencies to lack of organic and fresh food in many people’s daily diets.
“When fruits and vegetables are kept in a freezer, transported and processed, they lose micronutrients in the process. It is not like before when we use to eat fresh food from the garden,” said Dr Mhinga.
Anne-marie De Beer from Nestlé shared the same sentiments about the importance of eating fresh food from the garden and having a variety of colours in one’s plate.
“Variety is very important. We don’t have to have seven colours only on Sunday but we also don’t have to have it every day. I usually recommend for people to have three or four colours in their plate.
The easiest way to achieve this is planning for it and also having your own small vegetable garden at home,” said Anne-marie De Beer.
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The importance of having a small vegetable garden at home is highly recommended, not only for a healthy diet but for a financial reason as well as it saves consumers from always buying when they want to cook.
The event was also used to launch Nestlé Everyday, a new product aimed at responding to the endemic that is hidden hunger.
The discussion about hidden hunger came at a time when education about nutrition and living healthy is most needed as the world battles with the Covid pandemic.
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