DOH urges Pinoys: Eat in moderation, follow food portioning guide during holidays

TAGAYTAY CITY – For the upcoming Christmas holidays, the Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday urged Filipinos to follow the “Pinggang Pinoy” meal plan that prescribes healthier food portions from nutritious food groups.

In a media conference here, Dr. Emmanuel Dimal, chief of the National Nutrition Council (NNC)’s Nutrition Information and Education Division recommended the food portioning guide in a bid to encourage Filipinos to enjoy healthy meals even during the holiday merry-making.

“[We are promoting] eating in moderation with the Pinggang Pinoy. Ito po yung standard na nakikita natin (This is the standard) that the Department of Health (DOH) and even the National Nutrition Council promotes… Eating a variety of foods from the three food groups,” Dimal said.

The Pinggang Pinoy meal plan prescribes that each meal should consist of the following:

• 1/2 of the plate for fruits and vegetables
• 1/3 of the plate for rice, corn, or bread
• 1/6 of the plate for fish, lean meat, or beans.

Dimal said the food portioning guide was designed to ensure that Filipinos would get the essential energy and nutrients from the “Go,” “Grow,” and “Glow” food groups.

In an earlier interview with GMA News Online, registered nutritionist and dietician Christian Jay Vasquez also recommended the Pinggang Pinoy guide as a balanced, culturally-appropriate diet that suggested the right food groups on “a per-meal basis.”

The Pinggang Pinoy guide was developed by the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) in collaboration with the DOH, World Health Organization (WHO), and NNC.

Proper proportions recommended

Dimal said light balanced meals with fruits and vegetables must be consumed before festivities.

When it comes to actually counting or measuring what’s on your plate, he said there are measurements to be followed to ensure that it is a sufficient portion of food.

For proteins like meat, chicken, fish, or tofu, Dimal said that the proper portion must be the size of one’s hand or palm.

“Ang protein source na iba-iba naman po. I-mix natin. Yun na lang po yung kakainin,” he said.

(There are different protein sources. We can mix it. That is what we will be eating.)

For carbohydrates with fruits and vegetables, the portions must be the size of a fist. Fatty foods per meal must only be the size of a thumb.

“The question is, kaya ba kumain sa handaan na kukunin natin ay [thumb-sized] portion ng lechon? In reality, the opposite [is applied]. That leads to what? Hypertension, stroke, kung ito ang susundin natin,” he said.

(The question is, can we eat in gatherings if all we’ll take is a [thumb-sized] portion of lechon? In reality, the opposite happens. That leads to what? Hypertension, stroke, if we do this.)

The DOH has repeatedly spoken out against over-eating during holiday celebrations.

In line with the increase of cardiovascular and other medical episodes resulting from overindulgence during the holidays, health experts also warned the public against the excessive intake of alcohol, salty, and fatty foods this holiday season to avoid the Holiday Heart Syndrome (HHS). — JMA, GMA Integrated News