The rush of everyday life, combined with the massive supply of industrialized products and fast food, has become a villain for Brazilians' health.
The rush of everyday life, combined with the massive supply of industrialized products and fast food, has become a villain for Brazilians' health. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), more than half of the country's population is overweight. And what's worse: obesity already affects 20% of adults and 7.3% of children under 5 years old. The data is in the FAO and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) report, the Panorama of Food and Nutritional Security in Latin America and the Caribbean, released last week.
Contrary to these indications, nutritionist and presenter Gabriela Kapim, from the program “Socorro! My son eats badly”, shown on the GNT channel, was in Brasília and spoke to parents and children about taking care of their diet. The meeting took place at “Mercadinho”, a fortnightly event that brings together family farmers and organic producers from the DF at Brasília Shopping to display and sell food and products.
“My goal is to reach more and more media outlets so that we can reach more children and families. What real value does food have in your life? Because when it becomes really important, your child will learn,” said Kapim in an interview with the Sead portal.
The 38-year-old presenter abandoned her athletic career to dedicate herself to nutrition and reinforces that healthy eating habits start early. “I had a very nutritionally rich childhood. We had a farm and when I finished playing with my cousins, there were no cookies or any other treat, but guava, mango, persimmon trees, blackberries. So, the conversation among mothers was: 'Are you hungry? Take a mango there and eat it'. No mimimi. This brought a very rich diet for me and my cousins”, he recalled.
That's why the role of parents is crucial for little ones. “For example, how am I going to demand that my child sit at the table to eat, if I sit on the sofa in front of the television or tablet every day? It doesn't make sense to the child. She is very coherent: she learns much more from what she observes in the world than from what she is told to do”, he added.
At home and at school
In addition to the fundamental role of the family in choosing the food served at home, another protagonist of good nutrition is schools. The good news is that in 2017, public education across the country has a budget of R$1.24 billion to purchase food from family farming and use it in lunches through the National School Meal Program (Pnae).
Pnae has existed since 1955 and aims to contribute to learning, academic performance, growth, development and quality of life of students in public schools in Brazil. This way, a healthy diet compatible with the nutritional needs of children and adolescents at their respective ages is guaranteed.
The purchase of food is subsidized by the Federal Government, which allocates resources to each municipality. Since the creation of law 11,947/2009, at least 30% of the products purchased must come from family farming.
Healthy lunch box
To curb obesity rates, one of the main meals of the day – lunch – deserves extra attention. But how to eat well and not go hungry? “A healthy lunchbox needs to have foods with all functions. In other words, energetic foods (brown rice, cassava, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, yams); regulators (fruits and vegetables); and builders (meat, legumes, beans, soybeans, chickpeas, lentils). Using imagination and a few culinary skills, it is possible to create nutritious, tasty and attractive combinations”, explains the nutritionist at Emater-DF and the Food Bank of the Supply Center (Ceasa) in Brasília, Lidiane de Matos.
For the advice to be put into practice, the nutritionist suggests a menu from Monday to Friday. Whether for those who take lunch to work or for those who eat in trays or other restaurants. It is worth mentioning that the amount of each food depends on each person's nutritional needs. When in doubt, look for a specialist.
