Nutrition orientation intervention program for school feeding caterers and food vendors at Shama District
With the aim of improving health and nutrition status within the District, nutrition intervention program was organized for 17 school feeding caterers, workers and 28 food vendors who sell to the public, totaling 55 people on the 6th June, 2023 at Shama Junction Community Center. The objective of the program was to educate, sensitize and encourage the preparation of healthy food and administering of food supplements to pupils in schools.
The participants were educated on the following:
❖ Healthy Diet
❖ Effect of Lack of Protein
❖ How to Keep Food Preparation Premises
❖ Health Certification
❖ Nutrition Package for School Children (Folic supplement and Fruits)
Healthy Diet
Healthy diet is essential for the overall health of every individual. Healthy diet includes all nutrients in their right levels in meals. The participants were sensitized on the need to have energy giving foods, vitamins, proteins and fatty acids in diets. They were made aware that foods in each of the classes are important for child growth and in the preparation of a healthy diet give attention to their proportions especially considering grains, nuts, fruits and meat.
Effect of Lack of Protein
They were advised to ensure that all meals prepared meet the right standards for promoting child health. People with diets lacking these classes of food are at high risk of being malnourished and participants were informed on the dangers of deficiency.
Keeping Food Preparation Premises Neat
Promoting health is vital and participants were sensitized on how to keep their cooking and eating premises well. It was stated that the place of food preparations should be devoid of nuisances. They were educated on the types of nuisances that are created around cooking premises and sale points. They were informed on the dangers that nuisances pose to food items and meals prepared and served under unhealthy conditions such as cholera and other diarrhoea diseases.
