LIMAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Being healthy physically at the same time, mentally, improves a child’s school performance. With the “in-school feeding program,” insufficiently nourished school children will be on their way to a good physical shape and studying condition.A healthy mind is not the only part important in studying, but also a healthy body. Going green for nutrition is a solution employing a vegetable for an in-school feeding meal.The malunggay tree is a common part of a filipino backyard and has long since been served on plates as a nutricious dish. The Department of Education’s (DepEd) vegetable gardening project in schools called “Gulayan sa Paaralan” is a help to address malnutrition which affects one in every three public school children. In this project, the tree is grown and has its fruits and leaves harvested to make up genuinely nourishing recipes. The leaves are then dried and powdered to combine with the ingredients making up the healthy recipes for the in-school feeding. Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) or horseradish tree in english, is dubbed and proven as a “miracle vegetable,” can cure many diseases like “beriberi” and “rickets.” Beriberi is a diet-deficiency disease caused by a lack of vitamin B1. Rickets is a nutritional disorder characterized by skeletal deformities that is caused by a lack of vitamin D and calcium. According to Mark Fritz’ news article in the Los Angeles Times, ounce for ounce, malunggay has the calcium of four glasses of milk, the vitamin C of seven oranges, and the potassium of three bananas. Malunggay also has triple the iron of spinach quadruple the beta carotene of carrots which is good for the eyes and effective against cancer.
By: Grail C. Ebon, | DepEd Limay
