Knorr reports that each day globally, 3.5 million photos of food are posted, liked, and shared around the world.
That’s an online food conversation totalling 1.2 billion posts in the space of a year on a global scale. But we are sharing food so that it can be admired, not eaten. Shared, but not shared.
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), one in nine people worldwide, or 815 million people, still go to bed hungry every night.
Two million more people would be fed this week alone if one in every nine of our food photos this week worldwide was a donation of a meal instead - just 25 cents.
The Department of Basic Education with Knorr SA has come together to commemorate 'World Food Day' celebrated on October 17 at Ingcindezi Primary School in Cato ridge.
The partners also announced the rollout of a partner programme to enhance the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP).
According to this year's "Plate of the Nation 2022" by a Knorr and Nielson report, reveals that the South African plate continues to be dominated by carbohydrates, an excess of meat, and not enough vegetables.
The study also found that young people's plates mirror what their parents' or guardians' daily diets look like.
By offering nutritious meals in schools, the National School Nutrition Programme hopes to improve students' ability to learn. In addition to receiving wholesome meals, students are taught how to develop and uphold wholesome eating and lifestyle habits that will last a lifetime.
Where it is used, the programme has been shown to enhance students' punctuality, regular attendance at school, focus, and all-around well-being.
Given the evidence that South Africans' diets need to be improved, Knorr is collaborating with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to guarantee that primary school students are served highly nutritious meals. Moreover, schools are urged to start food gardens.
Parents, teachers, and students are given the knowledge and abilities to grow their food, which contributes to long-term household food security.
What exactly is served for lunch at schools?
Fresh fruit and vegetables, carbohydrates/starch, protein (soy, fish, eggs, milk, sour milk, beans, and lentils).
Each week, a variety of proteins are served. Serving soy no more than twice per week is not recommended. To make the food more flavourful, salt, flavourants, and fats/oil are added. Every day, fresh fruit or vegetables should be served.
Knorr says that their motivation to change the world is rooted in changing what we eat. By educating, creating awareness, and motivating citizens to eat in a way that is better for themselves and the environment, we intend to help the South African population move towards a better food future.
Neo Sediti, the NSNP Director at the Department of Basic Education, describes the NSNP as a pro-poor government programme aimed at reducing inequality and enhancing school participation by providing learners with nutritious meals. The programme provides lunch meals to more than 9.5 million learners on school days.
To ensure that the programme succeeds, Knorr and the DBE together with NSNP, will utilise the following support pillars:
- Train the volunteer food handlers from the selected schools.
- Educate and create awareness.
- Where no school gardens are present, assist to plant ‘Ama-veggie gardens.
The theme for World Food Day 2022 this year is "State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World", and it encourages everyone to work together to create a sustainable society where everyone, everywhere, has regular access to enough nourishing food.
The formation of food gardens by schools is also encouraged as a means of supplying students with fresh produce (vegetables and fruit), a teaching and learning tool to encourage more vegetables on South African plates.
Read the latest issue of IOL Health digital magazine here.