Ugaliing Magtanim, Tamang Nutrisyon Aanihin

This year’s national theme for the Nutrition Month Celebration reminds me of the same celebration way back my primary grades. That time beside the usual culinary exhibits and hygiene campaign, we were also taught a jingle. This, I still remember and goes,

“ Magsinop tayo sa pagkain, at wag nating sasayangin, sumunod sa mga tagubilin, kung anong dapat nating kainin, Wastong pagkain ang kailangan, nang bumuti ang ating katawan, ang lakas ng bansa’y nakasalalay, sa kalusugan ng mamamayan”. My contemporaries should know this jingle, along with those awiting bayan we joyfully sing every day.

Nowadays, everyone’s complaining of exorbitant costs of food and many of us have problems sticking to our household budgets because food prices have been galloping away ahead of salaries. Consequently we need to make both ends meet and that means reduction to the usual quantity needs of the family. That accounts to the frequent reasons of our students being absent due to having no baon for the day. School feeding program is not sufficient as it prioritizes the severely stunted or undernourished among the group as depicted on individual body mass index (BMI).

While we cannot do away with skyrocketing prices of commodities, we have to do something on our ends if we mean to survive. Prices should not dictate what nutrition we should meet and one way to outwit that is to raise the source itself, plant! There are vegetables that are easily grown but are full of nutrients, lowly veggies we may call them. We can tend some of them on recyclable materials like plastic containers instead of throwing. Malunggay, tops like camote and kangkong, eggplant, ladyfinger, tomato, ginger, onion, garlic, celery, pechay, to mention a few are among essential household regulars which are easy to grow.

Personally, since to me my idea of a beautiful house is one with plenty of plants around ranging from decorative to medicinal to edible ones, I always see to it that I have a ready supply of these right from my backyard. Simple knowledge on the propagative parts of these plants and a green thumb would do the trick. Many of these plants grow by stem cutting, bulb, rhizome, or seeds/seedlings, very easy and bingo you have your own nutritious bundles after a month or two! Remember that the cost of food does not guaranty its nutritional value. In fact, these we call lowly ones are the ones that carry the most nutrition. And a plus, you will surely have organic ones on your table; no pesticides, no inorganic fertilizer. Healthy foods to offer your loved ones minus the doubt that what you buy are treated with formaldehyde and pesticide to lengthen the shelf life.

So would you give raising your own vegetable a try? There are so many DIYs on urban gardening in the internet to help you start with. Taralets!