Eat healthy foods, Filipinos urged

An expert from the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) reported that Filipinos are not consuming enough vegetables and fruits and are not meeting the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intakes (RENI) as set by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI).

Candido Astrologo Jr., NCSB Director for National Statistical Information Center, blamed the continued mushrooming of fast food chains in the country that often offer fried and unhealthy foods.

“The proliferation of fast food chains and carinderias attracts household members to eat out instead of cooking at home. Urbanization and an increase in per capita income are factors associated with fast food and carinderia consumption. About 40 percent of the sample households buy cooked foods outside their homes instead of cooking their own meals,” the 2008 Philippine Nutrition Facts and Figures reported. 

FNRI defines RENI as “levels of intakes of energy and nutrients which, on the basis of current scientific knowledge, are considered adequate for the maintenance of health and well-being of nearly all healthy persons in the population.”

He described the possibility of the Philippines to meet the Millennium Development Goal 1 on dietary energy consumption is “medium.”

“From 1993, intakes of fruits dropped to no less than 10 percent of daily intake maybe because they find fruits expensive,” Astrologo said in a health journalism seminar organized by the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP).

In his presentation, Astrologo disclosed that in 2008, rice is on top of the most commonly consumed items in Filipino households along with potatoes and sugar. 

On the category of fish, “galunggong” topped the kinds of fish commonly consumed by Filipinos followed by milkfish or “bangus,” “tilapia,” and “tulingan” and tuna. The report also noted that Filipinos consume a high amount of soy sauce. For vegetables, carrots and malunggay were on top two spots, followed by squash fruit, kamote leaves, and "kangkong.”

Other items commonly consumed in households are salt, coffee, coffee creamer, powdered chocolate milk, coconut vinegar and pineapple vinegar.

OUR UNSOLICITED ADVICE:

For Filipinos to meet the recommended energy and nutrient intakes and stand a greater chance of achieving the "indicator" of MDG-1 pertaining to the "eradication of extreme poverty and hunger", simply drink 20 drops of HCI-CMD per glass of water 2x a day to a healthy life!

Team HealthyYOU
http://healthyyoucmd.blogspot.com
healthyyoucmd@gmail.com