Effective nutrition promotion and communication is best facilitated with the use of carefully designed tools and guides. It is said that to be beneficial and functional, a food guide should have the following characteristics: a) promote overall health rather than treatment of a specific disease, b) be based on up-to-date nutrition research on food composition, foods commonly consumed and nutrient recommendations, c) emphasize the total diet rather than a foundation or core diet, d) be useful to the target audience, e) meet its nutrition goals in a realistic manner, f) allow maximum flexibility for consumers to eat in a way that suits their taste and lifestyle while meeting nutritional criteria, g) demonstrate a practical way to meet nutritional needs and h) be evolutionary.
In the Philippines, the Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST FNRI) is one of the primary agencies that crafts nutrition tools and guides which are based on sound research. The National Nutrition Council (NNC) partners with DOST FNRI in the review and dissemination of such tools to help guide dietary choices and eating behavior of Filipinos for improved nutrition.
One of the most popular food and nutrition guides in the country is the Pinggang Pinoy. The term Pinggan refers to a Filipino term for a plate, whereas Pinoy is a colloquial term used to refer to Filipino citizens. This education tool aims to visualize the concept of consuming a variety of foods (from three basic food groups: Go, Grow and Glow) in the right proportion to meet per meal basis of recommended energy and nutrient intake. It sends a message that a balanced meal should be half vegetables and fruits, which provide important nutrients without excessive calories, sodium, sugar, or saturated fats that give rise to diet-related non-communicable diseases.
To better facilitate nutrition education and communication using the Pinggang Pinoy for use country-wide, the DOST FNRI designed a reference handbook entitled Pinggang Pinoy Guide for Nutrition Professionals which is meant to serve as a resource for the development of corollary nutrition education materials to aid educators and communicators in applying the food guide to their respective clients.
The handbook details the background and development of Pinggang Pinoy, the food groups presented the meaning of the Pinggang Pinoy icon, elements, placemat colors, the examples of incorrect usage, and an explanation of the sample meal plans and menus for various age groups and target populations.
If you look at the Pinggang Pinoy, you can see that each food group is represented by significant colors. Light brown for Go foods symbolizes whole grains, brown rice, and whole-wheat bread. Pinkish red for Grow foods are associated with fresh meat and fish. Green for vegetables from Glow foods shows the actual color of the vegetables while yellow-orange for fruits from Glow foods as well is identical with native fruits such as banana, mango, and pineapple.
Food items are seen in the Pinggang Pinoy obtain relevant emblems. Rice was picked as it is the primary source of energy of Filipinos, milkfish or bangus as the usually eaten fish and unofficial national fish, Moringa oleifera or malunggay and banana as the leading vegetable and fruit grown in the Philippines.
Pinggang Pinoy is an age-group specific tool due to distinct energy and nutrient needs as people ages. As such, different versions were made for different age groups and target groups. Orange-colored placemats help stimulate appetite of children 3 to 12 years old, blue is associated with characteristics of adolescents 13 to 18 years old, brown represents Filipino Malay race of adults 19 to 59 years old, red promotes appetite as well to elderly 60 years old and above, and lastly, green symbolizes new life, growth and fertility to pregnant and lactating women.
As the handbook focuses on the technical content of the food plate guide, the NNC, with permission from the DOST FNRI, reproduced copies for distribution across all regions in the country. NNC MIMAROPA will be providing copies of the material to each local government unit in MIMAROPA Region to further disseminate relevant information on Pinggang Pinoy to the localities.
No single food can sustain all essential nutrients that the body needs to perform, with the exception of breastmilk for the first six months of life. Consuming a variety of foods with the guidance of Pinggang Pinoy is the supreme strategy to achieve a well-balanced diet. (NKSLoyola)
