The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Food and Nutrition and Research Institute (FNRI) is encouraging parents to prepare their children’s school lunch at home.
“When parents prepare the food, they can be assured of the quality and safety of their children’s food,” said nutritionist Salvador Serrano.
He also suggested prepare food that does not spoil quickly, including pasta and food made with sauces and mayonnaise.
Serrano also pushed for schools to remove processed food from the school canteen and replace them with traditional Filipino snacks, such as boiled bananas and camote.
Teachers should also teach their students about choosing the right kinds of food, he added.
Serrano said, at an early age, kids should already be given the right food information for them to make the right preferences. There will come a time when parents can no longer sway their children’s food choices anymore, he noted./WDJ