The lecture “The health benefits of rice consumption” and the workshop “Recipes with rice flour” marked the resumption of activities of the Rice Enhancement Program (Provarroz) in Capivari do Sul on Monday (20). The nutritionist from the Rio Grande do Sul Rice Institute (Irga), Carolina Pitta, developed the activities at the Arthur da Costa e Silva State High School.
The actions are part of “Rice in Schools”, a project developed in partnership with the 32nd Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Center (Nate) of Capivari do Sul, Irga, and the Municipal Department of Education and Culture (SMEC) of the municipality. “Rice in Schools” aims to raise awareness in the school community about the importance and benefits of rice, the main source of income in the region.
In the lecture, Carolina addresses the properties of rice and derivatives, the importance and advantages of regular consumption of the cereal in the diet and clarifies doubts and myths related to the grain.
NThe workshop presented three recipes using rice flour: savory vegetable pie, orange cake and banana cake. The idea is that the recipes will be included in the school menu. The nutritionist teaches how to properly handle the flour in the preparation of easy and simple dishes, gives cooking tips, and presents the specific characteristics of the by-product, aiming to improve the experience with rice flour in the school kitchen. At the end, the participants tasted the recipes prepared by Carolina.
“Provarroz helps disseminate good ideas about rice to the population. Our expectation is to expand and carry out more actions of the program in partnership with the municipalities of the state. The more cities join projects that value rice cultivation and raise awareness and encourage consumption of the grain,” says Provarroz coordinator, Camila Pilownic Couto.
Other municipalities such as Jaguarão and Pelotas have also adopted rice flour in school meals. Provarroz continues with activities to raise awareness about the importance of including rice flour in school meals. Next week, the activities will take place in Santana do Livramento.
