The
birth of Pinggang Pinoy or the Filipino food
plate came as a clamor from the nutrition community to develop a food guide
based on a per meal basis for a healthy adult.
Contrary to what others
thought to be a replacement of the Daily Nutritional Guide (DNG) Pyramid for
Filipinos, Pinggang Pinoy serves as a quick and easy guide for determining how
much to eat per meal from each of the three basic food groups.
The DNG Pyramid, on the other
hand, shows at a glance the whole day’s healthy food intake recommendation for
Filipinos in order to have a balanced diet.
Both tools are based on the
latest scientific findings about how food, drink and activity choices affect
people’s health.
Food guides themselves are
not unique. In fact, almost every
country has its own version of a food guide.
So what makes Pinggang Pinoy
unique?
As its name suggests,
Pinggang Pinoy is specially designed for Filipinos which features the GO, GROW
and GLOW foods represented by food items commonly consumed by the
population.
The GO food, for example, is
represented by a bowl of rice, a staple food of Filipinos, fish like tilapia
for GROW food, and banana and malunggay leaves for GLOW food.
Included in Pinggang Pinoy’s
simple and graphic design is also a picture of a glass of water which stresses
the importance of sufficient water intake, and a figure jogging to represent
regular physical activity.
Recognizing the different
nutrient requirements of the different age groups, the FNRI has recently
developed the Pinggang Pinoy plates for children, adolescents, pregnant women
and lactating mothers and the elderly.
The FNRI’s vision is to
provide innovative and timely food and nutrition tools that will ensure a
healthy and well-nourished Filipino population.
For more information on food and nutrition, you may
write, call or visit: Dr. Mario V.
Capanzana, Director, Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Department of
Science and Technology, General Santos Avenue, Bicutan, Taguig City; Telephone/
Fax Nos: 837-2934 or 837-3164; Direct Line:839-1839; DOST Trunk Line:
837-2071-82 local 2296 or 2284; e-mail: mvc@fnri.dost.gov.ph or at
mar_v_c@yahoo.com; FNRI-DOST website: http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph. Like our
Facebook page at facebook.com/FNRI or follow our twitter account at
twitter.com/FNRI_DOST. (FNRI-DOST S&T Media Service: Press Release - MA.
SUSANA O. ENCARNACION)
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