Pinoys eating less vegetables

Sen. Pia Cayetano expressed concern yesterday over a government survey showing that Filipinos are eating less vegetables now compared to 28 years ago.

Citing a survey by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), Cayetano, chairwoman of the Senate committee on health and demography, said the mean per capita per year rate for vegetable consumption — or how much the average person eats — was only 40 kilos.

"It appears that the average Filipino diet is getting less and less healthy because we haven’t been eating as much vegetables as before," she said.

"If unchecked, this could have serious implications on the problem of malnutrition in the country," Cayetano said.

The figure represented just a third of the per capita rate in 1978 at 111 kilos, she added.

Speaking on the occasion of "National Nutrition Month," Cayetano called on Filipinos to be more conscious of the types of food that they eat in light of the recent government study.

Cayetano said the government, particularly the Department of Health, should look into the possible reasons for the declining vegetable intake of Filipinos, and take urgent steps to promote a healthy diet — especially among the youth.

"One way is to encourage children to take on a healthy diet by encouraging school canteens to sell only healthy and nutritious food while prohibiting the sale of junk food and soft drinks," she said.

"The selling of street food near school campuses should also be strictly regulated. Eating junk food may give a child a feeling of fullness or satisfaction of hunger, even if the required calories are not met. Worse, it may also lead to nutritional deficiency."

Cayetano said two orders issued by the Department of Education — DECS Memorandum No. 373, Series of 1996 and DepEd Order No. 14, series of 2005 — mandate school canteens to sell nutritious food like fresh fruits and or vegetables in shake/juice form, rootcrops and cereals, among other items. — Christina Mendez