28/08/2020
YES TO NUTRITION IN THE MIDST OF PANDEMIC
Good nutrition is crucial for one’s health, particularly during this COVID 19 pandemic when the immune system might need to fight back. Limited access to fresh foods may be compromised especially by those who are living in the condominiums or in crowded housing areas. With this, taking advantage of delivery food is the most common option. Thus ,isolation measures have been practiced because of less human interaction, but then we can never change the fact that this can also potentially lead to an increased consumption of highly processed foods, which tend to be high in fats, sugars and salt.
WHO recommends consuming less than 5g of salt per day. In order to achieve this, you may also consider rinsing canned foods such as vegetables and beans, to remove some of the excess sodium. In many countries, 50–75% of the salt intake comes from the foods we eat, rather than what we add ourselves. Given that you might be consuming enough salt already, avoid adding extra salt when cooking and to your meals at the table. Experiment with fresh or dried herbs and spices for added flavour instead.
If you are craving for something sweet, fresh fruit should always be the priority. WHO recommends that ideally less than 5% of total energy intake for adults should come from free sugars (about 6 teaspoons). When other dessert options are chosen, ensure that they are low in sugar or consume small portions. Canned fruits in juice rather than syrup, and dried fruits with no added sugar are also good options.
In terms of fat intake, WHO recommends limiting intake to less than 30% of total energy intake, of which no more than 10% should come from saturated fat. Cooking methods that require less or no fat, are steaming, grilling or sautéing instead of frying foods. Prefer foods that contain healthy sources of unsaturated fats, such as fish and nuts. Reduce foods such as red and fatty meats, butter and full-fat dairy products.
Avoid trans fats as much as possible such as processed and fried foods, like doughnuts and baked goods – including biscuits, pie crusts, frozen pizzas, cookies, crackers and margarines that include partially hydrogenated fat. If in doubt, minimally processed foods and ingredients are better choices.
Nonetheless, even with few and limited ingredients, one can continue eating a diet that supports good health.
Here are some healthy recipes made by a registered dietitian (Mr. Nolasco Aviles Jr, RND, CPM) that you can prepare at home during quarantine:
Squash Fritters with Sardines
Ingredients:
½ medium squash, grated
2 small cans sardines, drained (reserve tomato sauce)
2 small eggs
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp cooking oil
Salt
Pepper
Procedure:
In a pan over medium heat, add cooking oil. When oil is hot enough, saute onion and garlic. Then, remove from the pan and turn off heat for now.
Add eggs, all purpose flour, drained sardines, grated squash, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix.
In the same pan over medium heat, add 3 tbsp of mixture and cook each side until browned.
Place the reserved tomato sauce in a small bowl. Serve with rice.
Chicken Noodles with Egg and Pechay
Ingredients:
4 packs of chicken instant noodles
4 small eggs
4 heads native pechay
4 cups water, for boiling of eggs
8 cups water, for cooking of instant noodles
Procedure:
In a sauce pot, bring water to boil. Then, boil the eggs for 6 minutes. Once cooked, peel the eggs and slice in half. Then, set aside.
In another sauce pot, bring water to boil. Add instant noodles. Cover and simmer for 4 minutes.
Add pechay and instant noodles flavorings. Cover again and simmer for 1 minutes.
Remove from the pot. Put it in a large bowl. Serve with sliced eggs.
Sauteed Ampalaya with Luncheon Meat
Ingredients:
2 medium ampalaya, thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 medium eggs
1 medium can luncheon meat, diced
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp cooking oil
Salt
Pepper
Procedure:
In a saucepan over medium heat, add cooking oil. When oil is hot enough, saute’ onion, garlic and tomatoes.
Add luncheon meat. Sauce for 3 minutes. Then, add ampalaya.
Add beaten egg. Leave for 1 minutes then stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice.
✍️ Ms. Mary Joy Yango, SAVER'S CLUB Moderator
đź–± Peter Craig Raphael Trinidad
