Food and nutrition are very important elements in increasing national productivity and improving the quality of life of the population. The provision of food must meet the nutritional needs, food security, and be affordable for all individuals at all times. Food security and nutrition improvement are a unity, so when we talk about food security, we must also talk about nutrition improvement, and vice versa.
According to dr. Etisa Adi Murbawani, M.Sc., Sp.GK., Clinical Nutrition Specialist at Diponegoro National Hospital (RSND) of Diponegoro University, food intake must taken care of well because the consisting nutrition is important and food is not supposedly to only make us full. “We can become healthy or sick according to what we eat. Food must be safe in terms of taste, color, processing, and management from the very beginning, for example where to buy it, the shape of the food, until it is served to the dining table, everything must be safe. It must be considered seriously so that we stay healthy,” he said.
She further said that in choosing food ingredients, such as vegetables, fruit, fish or meat, choose the fresh ones and buy them in a clean place. The results will definitely be different from the vegetables grown by farmers from the people who just planted them, the nutritional content is also different. Food ingredients do not need to be expensive, we can get cheap ones, but as consumers we have to be smart. The impact of choosing the wrong food, for example choosing fish that has been slimy or stale usually causes usually vomiting and diarrhea.
“You need to pay attention when shopping for food ingredients. Keep in mind to always choose fresh, clean and guaranteed ones. If you buy raw ingredients from a vegetable seller, wash them first and then choose good ones, if there are rotten ones, get rid of them. If it’s not cooked right away, store it in an airtight covered place and then put it in the fridge, so the chances of it rotting quickly are smaller. Meanwhile, in choosing snacks, choose colors that are not too flashy, choose softer colors which usually contain real food coloring and it’s safe to consume,” said dr. Etisa.
“For food safety that can be done at home, choose the types of vegetables that are still fresh. Kitchen has to be cleaned occasionally with a special disinfectant for the kitchen, so that eating is more comfortable and our bodies are also healthy,” she concluded. (Lin – Public Relations)
