New nutritional guidelines for Filipinos released

A SECOND revision to the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos was released yesterday by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) in a bid to encourage good eating habits and the choice of better food content.

The new guidelines, a revision from the year 2000 list and published in a newspaper, adds reasons behind the 10 messages, said Jovita B. Raval, chief of nutritional information education division, in a phone interview yesterday. The first list was released in 1990.

The new guidelines are:

• Eat a variety of foods everyday to get the nutrients needed by the body. (The previous guidelines did not indicate the need for nutrients.)

• Breastfeed infants exclusively from birth up to six months then give appropriate complementary foods while continuing breastfeeding for two years and beyond for optimum growth and development.

• Consume fish, lean meat, poultry, egg, dried beans or nuts daily for growth and repair of body tissues.

• Eat more vegetables and fruits everyday to get the essential vitamins, minerals and fiber for regulation of body processes.

• Consume milk, milk products and other calcium-rich foods, such as small fish and shellfish, everyday for healthy bones and teeth.

• Consume safe foods and water to prevent diarrhea and other food and water-borne diseases.

• Use iodized salt to prevent Iodine Deficiency Disorders, one of the new guidelines.

• Limit intake of salty, fried, fatty and sugar-rich foods to prevent cardiovascular diseases, another new guideline Ms. Raval said aims to address non-communicable diseases.

• Attain normal body weight through proper diet and moderate physical activity to maintain good health and help prevent obesity.

• Be physically active, make healthy food choices, manage stress, avoid alcoholic beverages and do not smoke to help prevent lifestyle-related non-communicable diseases, a new guideline on healthy living.

The guidelines will be re-evaluated in 2020, according to the resolution. — K. M. P. Tubadeza, Businessworld