PINGGANG PINOY: A meal guide for Filipino adults
A neighbor just passed the nursing board exam. By lunch time, the street has been closed, filled with tables and tents, and the lechon was on its way to please the hungry guests. Whether for a baptism, birthday or a simple high school reunion, Filipino celebrations are in it to win it, indulging
guests with a generous feast.
Having a rich culture of banquets and buffets, rice-all-you-can offerings around town, and umami- rich cuisines that are hard to turn down, Filipinos are susceptible to diseases caused by literally having too much on their plate. Like in the neighboring Asian countries, a Pinoy plate is ricebased. A meal is deemed incomplete without a cup or two of rice. That is why people on a no-rice diet are often misunderstood and some are baffled at how much self-control the dieters have to resist the power of rice.
While a food plate chart is countercultural in limiting rice ratio, it is a much-needed stir in addressing health issues of obesity, malnutrition and even mortality in the country. A dietitian or nutritionist usually introduces a food plate chart to patients, but even at home, one can simply refer to and follow the Pinggang Pinoy.
Having too much on one’s plate
Pinggang Pinoy is a project developed by the Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOSTFNRI) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), Department of Health (DOH), and the National Nutrition Council (NNC), to provide Filipinos with a visual guide to the appropriate proportion of food groups on a daily diet.
With the food pyramid being revamped into a more comprehensible food plate chart, there is no excuse to be incautious on food intake. Pinggang Pinoy shows the right portions of Go, Grow, and Glow food groups per meal.
Half of the plate is dedicated for fiber- and vitamin-rich Glow foods composed of fruits and vegetables. The other half is divided into two unequal servings with Go foods taking a larger portion than Grow foods. Go foods are the main source of energy — good carbohydrates from whole grains, unrefined breads and most root crops; and healthy fats such as nut butter and fish oil. Avoid bad carbohydrates and transfats from fried fast-food and those with “hydrogenated oil” on the label. Meanwhile, Grow foods are rich in protein and considered musclebuilders. Meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs and nuts are under this category.
“Pinggang Pinoy complements and supplements the food pyramid. It reminds Filipinos to fill their plate with the right amount and quality of food,” explained Ma. Jovina Sandoval, a science research specialist II at the DOST-FNRI. She added that the project supports the government’s advocacy of preventing “non- communicable diseases and the double burden of malnutrition.”
The project, backed by formative scientific research, technical consultations and pre-testing, was developed to show the recommended food intake for Filipinos. It is also a response to the results of the 2013 National Nutrition Survey stating that one out of 10 adults is chronically energy-deficient while three out of 10 are overweight.
Meanwhile, according to DOH’s study entitled Mortality: 10 Leading
Causes, which is clustered on a five- year average, heart disease is the No. 1 cause of mortality in the country since 1985. While genetics may cause heart disease, other culprits include unhealthy diet and lifestyle resulting to blood vessel infl ammation, high fat and cholesterol level in the blood (which can cause blockage in one or more coronary arteries, a. k. a. heart attack), high blood pressure and high blood sugar level. Diabetes has also been a consistent top-notcher in the chart since 1989.
“Our target users are Filipino adults, 19 years old and above, and without special medical attention. People with ill health need special attention or advice from dietitians, medical doctors and other health providers,” Sandoval stressed.
Picking the right berries
Filipinos don’t often take their heart’s health seriously. Though there is rising consciousness of the value of meal planning and having a healthy lifestyle, not everyone is willing to join just yet.
Pinggang Pinoy is one of the many meal guides available today that can help one finally start the healthy diet one has been planning since New Year’s Day. Aside from eating the right food, it also helps to have an active lifestyle. This does not necessarily mean going to the gym — just take a few flights of stairs, exercise at home or join weekend fun runs, all of which can actually be enjoyable.