Cebu City – The green plate of Pinggang Pinoy is the recommended Filipino Food Plate for Pregnant and Lactating Women. The color green is the universal color of nature and health, green is a symbol of new life, growth, and fertility.
The first 1000 days of life is considered as the golden window of opportunity. It is the time where a child’s body, brain and immune system develops significantly. A healthy mom in her prenatal and postnatal period greatly affects the health of the baby.
Here are some health tips for pregnant and lactating women:
- Take the Extra Calories – the body gets to change when you are pregnant and lactating. Thus, a need to increase the calorie intake is a must. For pregnant women, an additional 300 calories and an additional 500 calories for a lactating woman are added to her daily caloric need.
- Choose the Right Food – the goal is to choose the right nutrient-dense food with the additional calories needed. Eat a variety of foods, consuming a few kinds of food may result in an imbalanced diet and is dangerous for both the mom and baby.
- Stay Hydrated – you need a little more water when you’re pregnant and lactating, it can help in reducing neural tube defects and inadequate supply of milk.
- Be Physically Active – it is recommended for women to be active even during pregnancy. Exercise can reduce risk of gestational diabetes and postpartum depression.
The green plate of Pinggang Pinoy is an easy and quick guide for pregnant and lactation women. The Pinggang Pinoy also suggests that women should have prenatal checkups and only give birth in health facilities.
The Pinggang Pinoy also have other colors: Blue for teens, Brown for adults, Red for elderly and Orange for kids. See more features about them in the NNC Region 7 webpage. For more information about Pinggang Pinoy, please visit the National Nutrition Council Region VII facebook page at NNCRVII // ND II Franz Cassandra R. Ontina, RND
