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Tag: Nutrition

  • A new partnership boosts nutrition efforts in Nigeria

    A new partnership boosts nutrition efforts in Nigeria

    By Pelumi Salako

    At a side event during the United Nations 80th General Assembly last week, a strategic collaboration with UNICEF and Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) under the Child Nutrition Fund, and the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) was discussed. 

    UNCDF issued a $2.5 million loan to food manufacturer Ariel Foods FZE for the construction and development of a facility in Nigeria where lifesaving therapeutic foods for children will be produced using locally sourced groundnuts, instead of relying on overseas import. 

    The panel featured Dhiren Chandaria, the chairman of Ariel Foods FZE, Uju Rochas-Anwukah,  special assistant to the president of Nigeria on Public Health, Charles Wetherill, the programme development advisor at UNCDF, and moderated by journalist Damilola Banjo. 

    Charles Wetherill said the move was an investment in a Nigeria-based nutrition company to finance and extend the production line of essential child nutrition amongst other benefits. Nutrition in Nigeria has not been up looking this past few years as conflicts and spiralling economy amongst other factors continue to impact quality of life and access to food.

    According to WFP, 30.6 million people are food insecure. 10 million people and 17 million children are malnourished, the second highest in the world just after India. 

    Wetheril said the fund offers four major advantages; a manufacturing base locally creates jobs for Nigerians, 50% of which would go to women, he said. It also unlocks markets for smallholder farmers who would be supplying the factory with peanuts, the essentially ingredient for production of the nutrient food. 

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    “Third, it enables a better performance of essential humanitarian supply chain by essentially bringing locally made products into the solution chain. And finally, it is an investment, it is a loan, and so the capital comes back to us, and then we do it again with another transaction. We’ll achieve development impact, and then the capital comes back to us, and we’ll do it again. So we are able to achieve multipliers of impact with a single dollar.”

    Wetheril said this model is a roadmap for how the United Nations system can work going forward. 

    “Such partnerships, collaboration, especially when the deliberate and coordinated would help sort of start to move the needle, and it will help us start seeing results, which this administration is keen on,” according to Uju Rochas-Anwukah, the presidential advisor, told The Guardian after the panel.

    Chandaria, Ariel Food’s founder said the funding would enable Africa to serve Africa. The major ingredients being put to use are produced locally by locally employed staffs of the company. 

    The company is situated in Alaro city, just 25km away from the Lekki free zone and the new airport under development in Lagos. 

    “We are taking a malnourished child, skin and bones, out of that. It is a 92 gram pack and it is less than $50 worth we are bringing a child out of skin and bone situation … back to normal life. It is fantastic,” said Chandaria who added that the support from the Nigerian government has been incredible.  

    Nigeria’s strategic objective is to reduce malnutrition, build resillience and invest in human capital, according to Rochas-Onwukah, who said it might be deemed ambitious but it is achievable. 

    “We understand that nutrition is the foundation for productivity of the workforce and the growth of the economy and so this is why the president has put human capital at the center of the renewed hope agenda [the ruling government’s agenda] and earlier in the year the vice president innaugurated what we call Nutrition 774 (N774) initiative which ensures action and accountability at the grassroots where it matters the most,” she said. 

    Nigeria has a very young population with 70% of the people under the age of 30. Rochas-Anwukah said these programs is important and would help harness demographic dividends. 

    “We are very particular to ensure that we provide the right policies that would allow for public-private partnerships and bring in private sectors like Ariel Foods and UNCDF to be able to pull in together funds. And then we have N774 that creates such platforms bringing in three tiers of government – the federal, state and local government– the private sector and development partners all acting in a unified agenda to achieve one goal.”

    Sustainability is key because we can’t afford for the progress being made to be afffected by fund cuts or political cycles when they change, said Rochas-Anwukah, and so with our policies, one of which is presently being reviewed, at the multisectoral plan of action, initiatives like N774 will ensure that it’s embedded, N774 drives for political will.

    Political will will aid the program’s sustainability beyond the political cycles. She added that Nigeria is the only African country to attain WHO maturity level three and on track to level four which means that our local productions are now considered safe and quality for consumption 

    Meanwhile Wetheril said the investment will provide a boost to Ariel Foods and by the time they call back the capital, the company would have reached a stage where it is sustainable.

    “Together, that triangle of partnership: capital, public partners and a business like Dhiren’s, we can do that over and over again and I think that is really looking forward,” he said. 

  • ‘Kids should have proper nutrition’ kids

    ‘Kids should have proper nutrition’ kids

    Health experts have reiterated the need for proper nutrition in the first two years to ensure linear growth for children under five.

    They noted that early intervention will prevent malnutrition and weight gain.

    This was noted at the launch of Bringing life to Our Overlooked Minors, a nutrition intervention of Health Emergency Initiative with Lagos State Health District IV.

    They also said proper nutrition in childhood is crucial for optimal physical and mental development, and can prevent chronic disease later in life.

    Permanent Secretary of the health district, Dr. Abimbola Bowale, represented by Director of Medical Services and Disease Control, Dr. Oludolapo Sotunde, said ‘a well-nourished child is key to a healthy and prosperous society’.

    He said: “We cannot overemphasise significance of nutrition in the first five years. These formative years are crucial for a child’s brain, body and immune system, which undergo rapid growth and development.

    “Unfortunately, many children miss this vital opportunity due to malnutrition, poor feeding practices and lack of access to health education.

    “BLOOM project therefore focuses on conducting growth monitoring to track and support healthy child development, encouraging breastfeeding up to two years, delivering health education to empower mothers and caregivers, as well as promoting the use of appropriate locally- available foods to prepare nutrient-dense complementary meals.”

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    Executive Director of Health Emergency Initiative Dr. Achunine Pascal, who underscored the intervention’s urgency, said the organisation is leading the campaign to give children better chances at growth.

    He said: “We cannot sit on the sideline while our children suffer from preventable malnutrition. Project BLOOM is about immediate action meeting needs now while creating a sustainable path forward for caregivers and their children”.

    Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NGX group, Temi Popoola, represented by the Group Chief Finance, Investment and Strategy, Adebayo Opatade, described project BLOOM as ‘a clear demonstration of how we can leverage our platform, partnership and people to address urgent social challenges like child malnutrition. By empowering our employees to lead from the front, we are reinforcing our belief that sustainable impact is achieved when the private sector, government and civil society work together with urgency and purpose.

    “This is not charity; it is an investment in the future resilience of our society and economy.”

    Chairman of Yaba Local Council Development Authority (LCDA) Dr. Bayo Adefuye, represented by the Chief of Staff, Dimeji Saheed, hailed the vision and compassion of the project BLOOM and pledged community support.

  • Reps charge states to make impactful investment on nutrition

    Reps charge states to make impactful investment on nutrition

    The House of Representatives have charged state governments across the country to make impactful investment on nutrition.

    The Chairman, Forum of Chairpersons  of Committees on Nutrition and Food Security of State Houses of Assembly, Hon Tolulope Ige, gave the charge  at a two –day policy discourse focused on improving nutrition in 10 focal states—Benue, Enugu, Cross River, Jigawa, Sokoto, Gombe, Adamawa, Katsina, Zamfara, Yobe.

    The engagement, convened by the Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) with the support of UNICEF was held at Dover Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, with the theme

    “Nutrition: Key to Health, Equity and Development in Nigeria.”

    Addressing the participants, Hon Ige said: “We are gathered here at a moment of renewed urgency — a time when we must elevate nutrition from the margins of public discourse to the centre of national development. As legislators, we are not only duty-bound to respond, we are morally obligated to lead. This is no longer about talk. It is about translating resolutions into results.”

    He went on to affirm that the Forum of Chairpersons will work with “our Speakers to domesticate these resolutions in our states; coordinate legislative timelines for passage of state-aligned nutrition laws and ensure that no Nigerian child is malnourished because government chose silence over action.

    “Colleagues and friends, let me end with this charge: Nutrition is not charity — it is infrastructure. It is justice. It is nation-building. If we fail to invest in it, we risk the very foundation of our national future. Let us leave here with the resolve to move beyond motions and moments into institutional commitments and measurable action. Let us nourish Nigeria — from policy to plate, from chamber to community.”

    Eulogizing the CS-SUNN and other partners for their efforts

    , he lauded the convener for being “the quiet strength and strategic backbone of our journey. From convening this Dialogue to building our legislative capacity, developing oversight tools, and coordinating partners, CS-SUNN has been unwavering. Their consistent support to the National Legislative Network and to our Forum of Chairpersons is not only commendable — it is indispensable.”

    Read Also: Experts, stakeholders call for stronger action to address malnutrition, food insecurity

    Speaking to newsmen, Executive Secretary of CS –SUNN, Okoronkwo Sunday, said there have been tremendous improvements from what the situation was in 2024. 

    “When you compare last year to this year, so much progress has been made from what we can see. For example, the advocacy for the creation of committees on food and nutritional security, which was started long before last year, as of today, you find that all the states houses of assembly across the states that are present here have been able to put those committees in place.

    “You also find that the six-month maternity leave, even though some states that are here have been able to put the policy in place, states like Cross River, Katsina  like we heard today, most of the other states are making progress and seeing to it that they have this policy in place that would allow women to go for six-month maternity leave with pay, and even also two weeks paternity leave for the husbands, who will support them in the process to exclusively breastfeed their children. Now also, we can see progress being made across all the states to both passing it as a policy, and also the Houses of Assembly, like we had today, agreed that as they go back, they will leverage what’s happening at the national to go domesticate it in their states.”

    He expressed optimism that  “by the time we come next year, you’ll find that a six-month maternity leave will have been passed across all our states, and also at the national level and also, phasing out of unbranded bulk oil, which contributes to some of the challenges, even among adults, non-communicable diseases and the rest of them. Once these laws are passed and they are controlled, you’ll find that this will contribute to improving the nutritional status of Nigerians across the states where we are.”

    In a communiqué issued at the end of the policy discourse, the participants resolved to:

    1 Leverage the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF):

     To make funds available to access the fund and ensure releases.

    2. Policy Enhancement:

     Legislators committed to reviewing and strengthening existing nutrition policies in

    their states.

    3. Increased Budgetary Allocation:

     Advocate for increased budgetary allocation to nutrition programs in the state

    budgets.

     Ensure timely and efficient disbursement of allocated funds.

     Commit to funding nutrition interventions through constituency projects.

    4. Legislative Advocacy and Oversight:

     Legislators to actively advocate for nutrition as a priority in legislative discussions and

    decision-making processes.

     Regular oversight to ensure effective implementation of nutrition programs and

    policies.

    5. Collaboration and Partnerships:

     Promotion and partnerships between government, civil society, private sector, and

    international organizations to enhance nutrition initiatives.

    6. Public Awareness Campaigns:

     Launching of extensive public awareness campaigns to educate communities on the

    importance of nutrition.

     Utilization of various media platforms to reach diverse audiences with nutrition

    messages.

  • FeedUp Africa marks 2024 global child nutrition month

    FeedUp Africa marks 2024 global child nutrition month

    FeedUp Africa, a leading non-governmental organisation dedicated to combatting food insecurity across Africa, has marked Global Child Nutrition Month through outreach to the Ofada Primary Health Care (PHC) Centre in Ogun state.

    This initiative aligns with the global observance of child nutrition and aims to tackle the pressing issue of malnutrition among children under five by fostering awareness, providing education, and fostering actionable solutions.

    The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are paramount, especially in regions grappling with underdevelopment and economic hurdles.

    Poor nutrition during this critical period can have lasting consequences, hindering a child’s cognitive development and physical growth potential.

    Nigeria bears the weight of the world’s second-highest burden of stunted children, with a staggering 32 percent prevalence rate among those under the age of five.

    Tragically, over 1 million young Nigerian lives are lost annually before they reach their fifth birthday due to malnutrition-related causes.

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     FeedUp Africa is launching a comprehensive Nutrition Awareness Day Outreach within an underserved community in Ogun state, coinciding with the Global Child Nutrition Month in April 2024.

    This initiative aims to empower caregivers and mothers with essential knowledge and resources to implement proper nutrition practices for children under five.

    This outreach will feature interactive sessions facilitated by experienced community nutritionists commenting on the outreach.

    Jinmi Ajayi, Executive Director of FeedUp Africa said: “By prioritizing child nutrition, we are not only ensuring the well-being of current generations but also building a healthier, more resilient society for generations to come. Investing in child nutrition yields significant returns, as healthy children grow into productive adults who contribute positively to their communities and economies.

    “Anticipated outcomes of this initiative include heightened awareness among caregivers and mothers about the importance of nutrition during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, increased understanding of malnutrition and its consequences among community members, improved utilization of fortified complementary feeds and quality supplements, and advocacy for sustainable nutrition interventions.

    Founded in 2021, FeedUp Africa is actively engaged in empowering vulnerable groups to enhance their food security and nutritional well-being through sustainable programs and initiatives in underserved communities.

     The organization’s core values are centred around the transformative potential of collaboration, innovation, and community involvement to create a significant impact in alleviating hunger and malnutrition in Africa.

    This initiative was supported by Segunfunmi Foods Ltd, which provided Granola product packs to women and caregivers, showcasing its dedication to improving child health in Nigeria.

  • World Health Day: Experts mull importance of healthy nutrition

    World Health Day: Experts mull importance of healthy nutrition

    The 2024 World Health Day celebration themed ‘My health, my right,’ focuses on the critical importance of good food and nutrition, particularly in regions like Central and West Africa.

    Nutrition is the foundation of human health, influencing every aspect of physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being. In these regions, where socio-economic gaps, environmental challenges, and diverse cultural norms converge, the importance of good nutrition becomes even more pronounced.

    That is why multinationals like Nestlé are championing affordable and good nutrition for families through its brands while ensuring the sustainable sourcing of raw materials such as coffee, cocoa, soya among other ingredients in its supply chain.

    “Nestlé reaffirms its commitment to promoting quality and affordable nutrition, particularly in Central and West Africa. We believe that access to balanced diets, rich in essential nutrients, is vital for maintaining optimal health and well-being. Together, we strive for a future where everyone has access to nutritious diets, ensuring not only physical health but also fostering local communities and prosperous societies,” says Mauricio Alarcón, CEO Nestlé Central and West Africa.

    Likewise, in Central and West Africa, numerous health challenges persist, ranging from enduring malnutrition to the rising incidence of diet-related non-communicable diseases. These nutritional deficiencies not only hinder physical growth and development but also weaken immune function, cognitive abilities, and overall disease resilience.

    Essential nutrients found in a balanced diet, including vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, are the building blocks of health. Ensuring adequate nutrition during critical life stages, such as pregnancy, infancy, and early childhood, is vital for optimal growth, development, and long-term health outcomes.

    Also, in recent years, Africa has seen an increase in the rate of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and obesity. This rise mirrors global trends but is amplified by unique regional dynamics. While infectious diseases remain significant, lifestyle factors, like diet and physical activity, drive much of this burden.

    A balanced diet is paramount in promoting overall health and preventing chronic diseases. A balanced diet encompasses a diverse range of nutrient-rich foods from all food groups, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.  This dietary approach not only supports physical well-being but also aids in weight management and reduces the risk of obesity and associated health issues.

    Empowering communities through education on nutrition is a powerful tool in the fight against malnutrition. Providing knowledge about healthy eating habits and balanced diets through initiatives in schools, community centers, and healthcare facilities can help dispel myths and empower people to make informed dietary choices.

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    Some companies, like Nestlé, recognises the importance of nutrition and quality in their product offerings. For instance, Nestle’s R & D centre in Cote d’voire employs scientists and food technologists dedicated to developing affordable nutrition solutions for the region. They consider local dietary preferences and nutritional needs, integrating regionally sourced cereals and plant protein sources into formulations. These products are fortified with essential micronutrients like iron, iodine, zinc, and other vitamins and minerals ensuring optimal nutritional value.

    Additionally, these experts have access to Nestlé’s global network of experts, advanced analytical equipment, labs, and pilot plants across all company R&D locations.

    Products like Maggi, widely recognized across the continent, are fortified with essential micronutrients such as iron and iodine, meeting local preferences while boosting nutritional intake. Likewise, Celerac, enriched with iron, and Nido, fortified with calcium, provide vital nutrients essential for children’s growth and development.

    In Nigeria, the company recently introduced Nido & Soya, a product that integrates locally sourced soybeans. This initiative offers a budget-friendly option for nutritious consumption, while providing healthy nutrition among consumers.

    The path to improved nutrition in Central and West Africa necessitates collaborative efforts across sectors and stakeholders.

  • Nutrition as your recipe for good health (II)

    The human body acts like a perfect machine. In a machine, if you put in a raw material, it gets processed by the machine and you get a product. Your product may turn out as energy. There may be some waste product too. We, as humans, behave in the same way as living beings. Our food is the raw material that our body needs. The ultimate product that we want is the energy to function. The one we don’t want is our sweat and the one that goes through the toilet/bathroom: the waste products.

    Further, we get our body make-up from our parents. Therefore, what we are and our future is determined by what our parents have eaten (including illegal drugs and alcohol) or what the parents failed to eat. Our future is already decided even before we are born. As a child and an adult, the way we behave, what we look like, our shape and health all depends on the food we take or the food that we did not take as mentioned above.

    Low energy is one of the consequences of unreasonable nutrition or poor meal intake. If we fail to eat the right amount that our body needs, we may not have enough energy to see us through our daily needs. An average male adult weighing 70kg requires about 2500 calories per day. An average woman adult requires about 2000 calories. Children and elderly require much less. If we fail to take the right amount of food, the body will start “eating” up itself and the person may lose a lot of weight and then die. On this account, we need qualified medical doctors, nurses and nutritionists to help us determine the amount of food and energy that we need.

    Because a person fails to take the right thing that is found in food or if the food gets polluted, it will harm the body. The person may therefore fall ill. For example, a person who failed to take enough protein will be predisposed to malnutrition and vulnerable to a lot of preventable diseases. Also, if our food is lacking in some vitamins, the person may even become unwell physically (say scurvy) or mentally. Very serious illnesses like cancers, hypertension, Parkinson’s, dementia and mental illness may develop because of what we failed to eat or what we actually eat. Common natural foods contain majority of what we require for our needs. Clean and well prepared, (not necessarily processed in factory) fruits, vegetable, meat (not red meat which should be avoided), fish and water in the right proportion will most certainly sustain us on daily basis. This is a common sense in fact.

    We don’t need factory food, fast food or processed food to survive. This is important as these foods contain a lot of chemicals and amount of substances that we don’t need. They contain preservatives and salt that is too much for our body. Too much food; if we eat too much food, it means we have taken too much energy in and of course, “excess of the earth” more that we require. The excess energy needs to be spent in exercise. Otherwise, the excess weight will ultimately drag us “down to earth” via many diseases (obesity, diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and stroke).

    Where is the scientific evidence? The evidence in support of what we have mentioned above is staggering. Here they are. (1) Soft drink: In many studies (88 different studies), the association between soft drink consumption and nutrition and health outcomes were examined. It was found that there is a clear association of soft drink intake with increased energy intake and body weight. Soft drink intake also was associated with lower intakes of milk, calcium, and other nutrients and with an increased risk of several medical problems (for example, diabetes); (2) Before and after birth: The children of women who have low pre-pregnant (before becoming pregnant)  weight, poor diet, low level of replacement of the home diet by the supplement, low physical activity during pregnancy and good health status will show larger increase in birth weight when their food and calories is increased. Finally, nutritional interventions during pregnancy as opposed to earlier in the life of the mother should have the higher impact on birth weight. In consequence, interventions as of pregnancy are recommended; (3) Child survival: From the data reviewed in research reports, it is clear that nutrition of mothers is intimately intertwined with infant health and survival. Thus, the problem of maternal malnutrition during pregnancy and during breast feeding presents a potentially and very serious obstacle to social development. If you have any question or clarification on this article, please contact me: Tel: 07087733114 or website: www.the-hospitals.com.

     

    • Culled from the book Complete Guide to Your Health By Joel Akande

  • Nutrition as your recipe for good health (1)

    Human beings and animals derive their entire make-up (constituents of their body) from one source: all of our tissues, muscles, organs and so on, are derived from the earth. That is to say, what is found in us is also found on the earth that you stand on.

    The make-up of the earth is also our make-up. Your table salt (sodium chloride), zinc, water (H2O), sulphur, ammonia, protein, fat, vitamins, nitrogen, oxygen and so forth that make up our tissues and body are all from the earth. This is why when a person dies, he or she simply split up into these different chemicals and return to the earth from where those chemicals came from originally. The cycle of earth replenishment continues and fertility of earth to feed earth inhabitants goes on as a result.

    This is the reason that if the earth is polluted, our food, air and water get polluted; then our body gets polluted and then we fall ill as a result.  We then fall ill because we may have eaten the food that our body needs that is now polluted for us. If the air gets polluted, the air that we breathe in is polluted and our tissues and organs get “polluted” and we fall ill. The same thing goes for water, which is crucial for our survival.

    There are various ways by which our food and water may be polluted: 1. (a) chemical pollution, which can be via insecticides such as organophosphates that farmers use to control pests; (b) it may also be industrial discharge from the factories and manufacturing houses that got discharged into the water ways, seas, lands and air; (c) chemical pollution may also come from transport such as air planes that discharge fuel and combustion products into the air. It may also be oil pollution into the sea by ships that sank or even the product of combustion in the course of ordinary transport. We should not forget the very common ones that pollute us by the day and nights: cars; (2) biological pollution, which may come from industrial activities, laboratories such as was the case in foot and mouth disease and avian flu; (3) pollution may also come from radiations from energy and industrial activities or even human negligence such as the case of Chernobyl nuclear accident.

    Food and water pollution may arise due to direct human additives such as attempts to legally preserve food by means of different chemicals and biological agents that the governments have approved. On the other hand, if the food that we eat does not contain appropriate nutrients that we need, though it comes from the earth, we will become unwell and remain unwell until those chemicals are replaced in our body.

    There are four areas in which our food may be a problem for us: (a) if we eat too small an amount at a given time or over time. Too little is not good enough; (b) if we eat too great an amount at a given time or over time. Excess is bad; (c) failure to eat the right thing or right components that we need such as vitamins or even water: those things that come from the earth; (d) if our food does not contain the right amount of what we need: As we know in elementary school, our food must contain the right balance that is appropriate for the individual. Right amount of protein, right vitamins, water, carbohydrate, trace elements like zinc, magnesium, iodine, calcium, salt, fat and so on.  Our body system requires all these to function properly and to generate the right amount of energy.

    Fast foods are simply to be avoided as much as possible. They are what they are called: fast food that will help you to accumulate fat in perhaps the fastest way. The truth and reality is that this message may not be received by all. On some occasions such as family outings, or in case we are in dire need of food and we could not reach our favourite kitchen, we may indulge in fast food. The critical thing, however, is that it should not be a habit or a frequent replacement of our natural meals. If you have any question or clarification on this article, please contact me: Tel: 07087733114 or website: www.the-hospitals.com

     

    • Courtesy from Complete Guide to Your Health by Joel Akande

  • Improving food sufficiency and nutrition

    SIR: Access to food is a fundamental human right. However, in recent times, there has been a surge in the number and proportion of hungry people across the globe. Recent estimates from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations says world hunger is on the rise. The number of undernourished people in the world increased in 2017, for the third consecutive year. It was reported that 821 million people (11 percent of the world’s population) suffered chronic undernourishment. This translates to one in nine people on the planet. Most of these people are family and subsistence farmers living in poor rural areas of sub-Sahara Africa and Southeast Asia.

    Concurrently, statistics in the same year show that various forms of malnutrition have also increased, with at least 1.5 billion people suffering from micronutrient deficiencies that undermine their health and lives.

    Whereas hunger is highly prevalent in areas ravaged by conflicts, droughts and extreme poverty, overweight and obesity is on the rise all around the world, and we are now witnessing the globalization of diet-related non-communicable diseases. For example, overweight and obesity rates are reported to be climbing faster in Africa than in any other region – eight out of the 20 countries in the world with the fastest rates of adult overweight and obesity are in Africa. Furthermore, childhood overweight affected 38 million children under five years of age in 2017.

    All of this has brought about a need to transform agriculture and food systems to deliver improved nutrition and sustainable and resilient rural communities. All stakeholders need to redouble their efforts in order to boost food sufficiency and improve nutrition. It is not just about feeding people, it is also about providing people with the necessary nutrients for a healthy life.

    Current global food systems have increased the availability and accessibility of processed foods that are very high in energy dense calories, ultra-processed fat, sugar and salt, but low in essential micronutrients. This leads to “hidden hunger.”

    Food systems must be transformed in ways that provide all people with healthy and nutritious food. There must be a collective effort towards providing healthy diets that include diversified nutrient-dense foods, including bio-fortified foods, fruits/vegetables, as well as animal-source foods. It also involves the creation of standards on fortification, proper labelling of foods, as well as the banning of some harmful ingredients.

    Also, having in mind that dietary behaviours during adolescence contribute to the establishment of lifelong eating patterns, food-related education programmes should be incorporated into the school curricula. Schools are ideal settings for nutrition education because they reach most youth, and nutrition fits into several subject areas including health, science, and consumer science/education.

    School-based nutrition education curricula should aim to improve students’ knowledge, skills, self-efficacy, and behaviour aligned with the dietary guidelines. Proper nutrition education can help young people to attain the knowledge and the skills that they need to make proper food choices and develop lifelong healthy eating patterns.

    It is also important that both private and public schools at all levels establish viable school farms. School farms are not just spaces for growing food items. They are complete learning zones, which largely succeed in taking learning to new heights. The knowledge obtained from practical sessions on the school farm helps not only to re-enforce what is taught in the classrooms. It also teaches pupils, and students alike, about eating healthy, about how food arrives our homes from the farms, etc. It also equips the pupils/students with first-hand knowledge of how to run agribusinesses. This is especially important in cultivating an entrepreneurial spirit in the students.

    Secondary school curricula, for example, needs to cover issues like: “where do foods come from?”, “how food is produced”, “what makes up a food product” and “which foods are manufactured”.  School-leavers need to know about the way that food is distributed, imported and exported, as well as impacts on the local businesses and local farmers. They need to know the role of industry and jobs, and people that are involved and affected. They also need to be taught importance of supporting local farmers and small local businesses. Furthermore, they need to understand the effects of food wastage and food packaging on the environment.  They need to understand food security on a global level, and their learning should be brought right down to the community level in terms of the most vulnerable people in certain communities such as homeless, unemployed and those kinds of high risk groups. Some schools encourage children to do community service and that’s a good experience for them.

     

    • Daniel Ighakpe, FESTAC Town, Lagos.

  • Fast food trend, nutrition and right choices

    With fast food, there is high tendency for food to get contaminated either through temperature abuse or non-hygienic practices, because the sole aim is just to make money. However, admitting that fast foods provide the convenience needed to cope in a fast-pace society such as ours, experts warn that moderation, as well as making right choices are the best options, Omolara Akintoye writes

    GONE are days when fast foods were strictly for pleasure. In today’s fast pace world where everyone appears inevitably in a hurry, meals from fast foods restaurants have become the quickest and most convenient means of filling the stomach, especially amongst well-to-do families who find local food joints otherwise known as “mama put” or “bucca” unsuitable. No thanks of course to industrialisation, traffic jams in large cities, economic depression amid growing financial burdens, and growing aspirations amongst women, which, in various homes, now translate into families enjoying less of healthy, home-cooked meals, not to mention children being deprived the chance to healthy growth at a time when they should develop all round-body, brain, cells, etc. Comprising largely junk foods, an expert says fast foods can be dense in calories, sugar and salt, and, therefore, cannot be considered nutritious, especially as they tend to trigger obesity in children; a major problem currently facing the global village.

    In fact, to think that with fast food, it’s impossible to exercise control over ingredients used and how much is used, the immediate environment where food is cooked, what oil is used, etc., make the benefits of home-cooked meals inexhaustible. But the question is do moms feel guilty about their inability to constantly feed their loved ones with good, nutritious home-cooked meals?

    “I sincerely feel guilty sometimes, but I really can’t help it. Even when I make resolutions every now and then about cooking before I go to bed so my children can take them to school, I get too tired to stick to them,” a middle-aged engineer told The Nation. Speaking with Ibukunola Nelson, a Lagos-based banker, she said “I won’t lie; it’s not easy surviving as a mom these days with career and house chores. Hence, I order both breakfast and lunch from a trusted fast food restaurant for my children. I, however, try to balance what I buy for them each day. Meanwhile, they always eat home-cooked meals for dinner because I cook and store in the refrigerator at weekends.” What’s in a serving of fast food? According to a nutritionist and food scientist/technologist, Mrs. Kelechi Nnamdi, one serving of fast food already contains the required daily intake of salt, sugar and fat; so, by the time you eat your home-cooked meal later, you would have been over-eating.

    Fast food meals, Nnamdi explained, can be marred by unhealthy use of oil, temperature abuse and lack of regulation. “There is generally no check on operators. Nobody checks what oil is used. In fact, from my discovery, an oil can be used more than eight times. Such oil has already undergone degradation and could carry a lot of free fatty acids. That’s why you find so many free fats in the body when you over-indulge in them.

    “Also, there is temperature abuse. Frozen chickens for example could be left outside the freezer for hours and then put back into the freezer. That’s plenty of room for contamination of food. So, with fast food, there is high tendency for food to get contaminated either through temperature abuse or non-hygienic practices, because the sole aim is just to make money,” she lamented.

    However, admitting that fast foods provide the convenience needed to cope in a fast-pace society such as ours, Nnamdi suggested the need for regulation. “Nobody checks anything and there’s no standard for whatsoever. In Europe now, if you have to keep foods at a low temperature, that freezer has to be at -180C. But here, who cares? And electricity is not even there to maintain that temperature. I’ve been opportune to see a fast food caterer prepare food. Do you know this guy buys the most substandard products in the market, even up to broken (esha) tomatoes?”

    Fast food operators’ reaction: Efforts to have fast food operators’ comment on the above allegations levelled against their products proved abortive. A member of staff of Sweet Sensation who attempted speaking didn’t argue beyond: “Our foods are nutritious.” A Mr. Biggs’ operator who also spoke on anonymity denied that oils were used repeatedly.

    While we still hope that mothers will someday do more home-cooking, a few measures could be taken to help manoeuvre around unhealthy choices so that children get the necessary nutrients. Experts say moderation, as well as making right choices, should help. “Endeavour to always add salad to your order. Choose local dishes sometimes because they incorporate a higher proportion of vegetables. Order water instead of soft drinks if you can’t have both,” an expert said. “Sandwich and a cup of milk can also be a great choice for breakfast or lunch. Also learn to order appetisers. More importantly, whatever your choice is, it’s best to not exceed a serving of fast-food meal a day,” Ugwu advised.

    Some experts also say you can make a fast food stop a weekend treat only, and then engage your loved ones in some energy-burning activities afterwards.

  • Health benefits, nutritional facts of cucumber

    Health benefits, nutritional facts of cucumber

    Few foods are as cool as a cucumber. These low-calorie veggies contain many nutritional benefits, including hydrating properties and valuable nutrients.

    There are hundreds of varieties of cucumber, and they come in dozens of colors, but the edible types are classified as being for either slicing or pickling, according to Cornell University’s Growing Guide. Slicing cucumbers are cultivated to be eaten fresh, while pickling cucumbers are intended for the brine jar. Slicing cucumbers are usually larger and thicker-skinned than pickling ones.

    In the United States, commonly planted varieties of slicing cucumber include Dasher, Conquistador, Slicemaster, Victory, Comet, Burpee Hybrid and Sprint, according to the World’s Healthiest Foods website. Commonly planted varieties of pickling cucumber include Royal, Calypso, Pioneer, Bounty, Regal, Duke and Blitz.

    While most people think of cucumbers as vegetables, they are actually a fruit. They contain seeds and grow from the ovaries of flowering plants. Cucumbers are members of the plant family Cucurbitaceae, which also includes squashes and melons. The most common type of slicing cucumber found in a grocery store is the garden cucumber, Cucumis sativus, according to World’s Healthiest Foods.

    Nutritional profile

    Cucumbers are good sources of phytonutrients (plant chemicals that have protective or disease preventive properties) such flavonoids, lignans and triterpenes, which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits, according to World’s Healthiest Foods.

    “We should definitely seek out foods that are nutrient-rich, using the positive approach of what to put on your plate vs. what to keep off,” said Angela Lemond, a Plano, Texas-based registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The peel and seeds are the most nutrient-dense parts of the cucumber. They contain fiber and beta-carotene. “Beta carotene is an antioxidant that helps with immunity, skin, eye and the prevention of cancer,” said Lemond. A study published in the Pakistan Journal of Nutrition found that cucumber seeds were a good source of minerals, and contained calcium.

    “Cucumbers are naturally low in calories, carbohydrates, sodium, fat and cholesterol,” said Megan Ware, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Orlando, Florida. There are just 16 calories in a cup of cucumber with its peel (15 without). You will get about four percent of your daily potassium, three percent of your daily fiber and 4 percent of your daily vitamin C. They also “provide small amounts of vitamin K, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, manganese and vitamin A,” Ware said.

     

    • Source: www.livescience.com