Nutri-chef challenge promotes vegetable consumption by children

CENTRAL Visayas towns and cities began hosting local eliminations for the region-wide “Nutri-Chef Challenge” — a cooking contest designed to promote vegetable recipes among the children — last August in preparation for the regional grand championship in October 2011.

This was announced by Emmanuel Mongaya, public relations officer of the Media Information Network for Nutrition and Development in region 7.

Launched on July 1 during the opening of Nutrition Month celebration organized by the National Nutrition Council in Central Visayas (NNC-7) at SM City Cebu, the nutri-chef challenge is implemented at the barangay level through the barangay nutrition scholars, said NNC-7 regional coordinator Dr. Letlet Mission.

The challenge involves cooking contests with green, leafy vegetables as the main ingredients.

A panel of judges that includes a local nutritionist will select the top three contestants during the contest.

A group of children will taste the recipes of the top three contestants to determine the winner.

“Most of the children don’t like vegetables. This is our way of promoting the nutritious food (vegetables) among the children who are easily attracted to commercials endorsing junk food and other non-nutritious food,” said Dr. Mission.

The grand regional championship of the nutri-chef challenge will be held in Cebu City in October 2011, during the National Children’s Month. /UP Masscom student Alya Simone I. Mongaya