Nutrition Literacy for better Health & Food platter approach

In association with Shanthi Ashram, Coimbatore, online training was conducted for 40 young mothers from Sarvam’s Project Villages.

Asst. Professor Thilagavathy, Food Science & Nutrition, Avinashilingam College, Coimbatore, and Nutrition Consultant Manisha conducted the nutrition training and awareness sessions.

The trainer explained the importance of nutrition literacy.  As a result of nutrition literacy, people are better able to understand nutritional facts and therefore follow a healthier diet.  In addition, discussions on how nutrition literacy assists in maintaining and improving health through selecting the right foods piqued the participants’ interest.

In addition, trainers focused on the benefits of nutritional knowledge.  She explained that the association between nutritional knowledge and food consumption and the quality of the diet, as well as participants with a higher level of nutrition knowledge consuming more favourable foods (e.g., vegetables and fruit) and eating less unfavourable foods (e.g., meat/meat products) that contributed to a higher quality diet as a whole.

Next, the trainer moved to the importance of platter presentation.  Although taste matters, she also said that well-plated and presented food attracts everyone and sets the tone for the entire place.  In addition to highlighting the specific ingredients in a dish, presentation and plating can also enhance the overall appearance of the dish.

The trainer pointed out why nutrition literacy is essential today.  In her speech, she stressed that following good food habits can reduce our risk of getting many diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, some types of cancer, and osteoporosis.  She also gave some tips for improving nutrition habits, like keeping the daily calorie intake in a reasonable amount, less quantity, more vegetables and fruit intake etc.

The question-and-answer session allowed mothers to clarify their doubts and ask questions.  As a result, women expressed their gratitude.  They assured that other community members in their village would also benefit from the program’s points.  Overall, the program was very informative and helpful.