ADULT

MODULE 1

HEALTHY
HABITS
In this lesson, we will learn to:

Choose Nutritious Manage Choose to

and Varied Options Portions Drink Water

Play Enjoy Meals

Actively Together

CONTENT OVERVIEW 5. Enjoy Meals Together as a family to strengthen

This lesson explains five Healthy Habits, a scientific
framework studied by Nestlé, that lower a child’s risk
for developing malnutrition:
1. Choose Nutritious and Varied Options to get
a balanced diet that supplies all the essential
nutrients needed by the body.
2. Manage Portions by using the Pinggang Pinoy®,
which shows the proportion of Go, Glow and Grow
food for each meal.
3. Choose to Drink Water and nutritious beverages.
Follow the recommended water intake for each
age. Drink pinatibay na gatas that has calcium
for strong bones and teeth. It also contains Tibay
Resistensya nutrients like iron, zinc and vitamin C
to help prevent sickness.
4. Play Actively to keep the body healthy and burn
off excess calories.
relationships and reinforce Healthy Habits and
good manners.
OBJECTIVES
This document serves as a guide for facilitators who
will lead the discussions for Module 1. At the end of
this session, parents will be able to:
1. Describe how the five Healthy Habits help school
age children stay healthy.
2. Identify nutritional problems common among
school age children.
3. Discuss the importance of eating a nutritious
and balanced diet using the Pinggang Pinoy®.
4. Advocate a healthier lifestyle by encouraging each
family member to follow the five Healthy Habits.
Adult Module 1 - Five Healthy Habits

MATERIALS The PowerPoint files for these lessons are

in PDF format. Open the PDF file, and at
the top menu bar, select VIEW > Enter Full
Screen. This places one page of the PDF
file on the computer screen and you can
• Adult Module 1 Facilitator’s Guide scroll up or scroll down to go through each
page like a PowerPoint slide.
• Adult Module 1 Handout
• Adult Module 1 PowerPoint

WARM-UP
15 Minutes

1. Begin the discussion by asking the parents the following questions:

• What are your children’s eating habits?
• Which habits do you think are “normal” or “good”?
• Which habits do you want to change and why?
2. Ask the parents to discuss their answers with the person next to them.
3. After 5 minutes, ask some volunteers to share their insights with the whole group. Ask other parents to
raise their hands if they have similar experiences.
4. Introduce the PowerPoint: “Today we will talk about the five most important Healthy Habits children
need to stay healthy. They are learning these in health class and we want to share this with you, parents,
because you will always be the biggest influence on their habits and attitudes.”

DISCUSSION GUIDE

Use the PowerPoint and the script below to discuss the five Healthy Habits.

Slide Suggested Script

Childhood is a time where lifelong habits are formed. Introducing your child to Healthy
Habits at an early age helps shape good nutrition. This gives him the best chance to live a
productive, enjoyable and healthier life.

Undernutrition is a condition where the body does not get enough nutrients commonly
because of inadequate food intake.

When your child does not get the right nutrients, it is harder for his body to perform its
normal functions.
Adult Module 1 - Five Healthy Habits

Slide Suggested Script

Those who are undernourished may have below-average weight and height.

A study by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute found that:

• 3 out of 10 school children were underweight or whose weight is low for their age
• 3 out of 10 school children were stunted (bansot) or whose height is low for their
age
• 1 out of 10 school children were wasted or are thin for their height

This means that a lot of children are undernourished and this is evident on how they
develop physically.

Poor nutrition doesn’t just affect your child’s physical growth. It can also affect health,
performance and well-being.

Short-term undernutrition can contribute to stress, fatigue and lack of energy. It can
affect concentration and academic performance.

Prolonged undernutrition can lead to loss of muscle tissue and increased susceptibility to
infectious diseases.

Eventually, it will reduce the child’s potential to live a productive and enjoyable life.

But how can we ensure that kids are getting all the nutrients they need everyday?

The Pinggang Pinoy® is a simple tool developed by the FNRI to help us remember the
right kind and the right amount of food to serve from each food group.

Go food contains carbohydrates that give energy, but choose sources of carbohydrates
that also give vitamins, minerals and fiber like brown rice, whole grain cereals, camote
and corn. Avoid those which are too sweet, salty or fatty, such as fries, chips and cakes.

Go food should fill just one-fourth of your plate in each meal.

Grow food has protein that are made of amino acids. Our children need protein to grow
big and strong. Protein also helps the body heal after an injury.
Try to serve different sources of protein so your body can get all the amino acids that it
needs to develop properly. Choose lean, low-fat protein sources.

Grow food should fill just one-fourth of your plate in each meal.

Glow food refers to fruits and vegetables that give vitamins and minerals.

Your child needs to eat a “rainbow” of colorful fruits and vegetables because different
colors give different benefits to the body.

Glow food should make up half of your plate in each meal.

Adult Module 1 - Five Healthy Habits

Slide Suggested Script

Aside from these food groups, Pinggang Pinoy® should always be eaten with a glass of
water or a nutritious beverage like pinatibay na gatas which has calcium for strong bones
and teeth. It also contains Tibay Resistensya nutrients like iron, zinc and vitamin C to help
prevent sickness.

Pinatibay na gatas is a good source of calcium, needed to strengthen bones and

minimize the risk of osteoporosis later in life.

Let’s look at the eating habits of the average Filipino child.

FNRI and Nestlé conducted a study. Research results show that majority of Filipino
children eat the same kind of food. Their top source of energy are refined rice, sweet
bakery products, noodles and beverages high in sugar. They don’t eat a lot of fruits and
vegetables.

Raise your hands if your children are like this, too!

These habits affect children’s health and development.

A survey by the FNRI found that many children lack micronutrients in their diet.
Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals and are acquired through food intake.

Around 80% did not meet their energy needs, 9 out of 10 for calcium, 8 out of 10 for iron,
7 out of 10 for vitamin B2 and 7 out of 10 for vitamin C.

That means that even children who eat a lot can still lack important nutrients!

As a parent, you play a big role in your child’s health! Serve nutritious and varied food.
This helps him grow, develop, do well academically and feel good about himself.

Looking back, you probably remember how your parents influenced the kind of food you
now eat. How did they teach you to eat vegetables or try different kinds of food?

Call on a few parents to share their anecdotes.

You would want your kids to eat the right kind of food in the right amount! Use the
Pinggang Pinoy® to ensure your child gets the right amount of nutrition everyday.

Remember…
One half should be Glow food.
One fourth should be Go food.
One fourth should be Grow food.

Ask parents to recall what Glow, Go and Grow food are based on previous slides.
Adult Module 1 - Five Healthy Habits

Slide Suggested Script

In order to address the health and nutrition issues that were discussed, Nestlé has
identified five Healthy Habits based on their ability to reduce the risks of malnutrition
among children

Let’s discuss the first Healthy Habit – Choose Nutritious and Varied Options.

A balanced diet consists of getting a variety of nutritious food.

There is no “superfood” that has all the nutrients your body needs. Having a variety
ensures that you will have all the nutrients that the body needs.

Kids need to eat the right kind of food in the right amount.

This ensures your child gets the required amount of nutrients to stay healthy and prevent
undernutrition.

The third Healthy Habit is Choose to Drink Water. Water is the best choice. It helps the
body properly digest and absorb nutrients while being free of sugar and calories.

Too much intake of beverages high in sugar can lead to excess weight and obesity.

Remember, every Pinggang Pinoy® meal should include water or nutritious beverages like
pinatibay na gatas which has calcium for strong bones and teeth. It also contains Tibay
Resistensya nutrients like iron, zinc and vitamin C to help prevent sickness.

This is the recommended minimum number of glasses per day:

6 to 9 years old: 6 glasses or more

10 to 12 years old: 8 glasses or more
12 to 18 years old: 9 to 12 glasses or more

Here are some tips to build your child’s habit of drinking water regularly.

• Give them a refillable water bottle whenever they go to school.

• At restaurants, order water instead of drinks high in sugar.
• Remind them to drink water even when they’re not thirsty.
• Encourage eating fruits and vegetables that have a lot of water. (ex.: watermelon,
pineapple, citrus fruits)

Can you share any other tips?

Call on volunteers.
Adult Module 1 - Five Healthy Habits

Slide Suggested Script

Aside from getting the right kind and amount of food, your child needs to get the right
amount of physical activity.

That is why the fourth Healthy Habit is Play Actively.

Nowadays, kids spend more time playing with electronic devices than actively playing
outside. Kids who watch TV more than 4 hours a day are more likely to be overweight
compared with kids who watch 2 hours or less.

Physical activity builds stronger bones and muscles and keeps the heart and lungs
healthy. It also helps control weight by burning off any excess food eaten. Children and
teens should accumulate at least 60 minutes of physical activity everyday.

Physical activity does not only mean doing sports. It can also mean playing outside,
participating in PE classes, commuting to school and helping in household chores.

And to ensure that your child has all the energy he or she needs to engage in physical
activity, we encourage to offer your child chocomalt milk drink which has champion
energy nutrients such as vitamin B-complex and iron that helps release energy. Ilabas ang
galing, magchocomalt milk drink everyday.

The last Healthy Habit is: Enjoy Meals Together.

Studies have found that children who eat with their family are less likely to be overweight
or obese because they take more fruits, vegetables and pinatibay na gatas.

Family meals also allow you to bond with your children, set a good example for healthy
eating and teach good table manners.

Parents are powerful positive role models. Seeing you eat a variety of nutritious food at
home can help your child accept and even prefer these food over junk food.

Today’s discussion helped remind us of these Healthy Habits:

Choose Nutritious and Varied Options.

Manage Portions.

Choose to Drink Water.

Play Actively.

Enjoy Meals Together.

Introducing your child early to Healthy Habits will lay the foundation for a healthier,
productive and more fulfilling life.
Adult Module 1 - Five Healthy Habits

WRAP-UP
15 Minutes

Ask parents to form groups of 4-5 members. Show these common food statements on the screen. Ask them to
discuss whether they agree or not and explain based on what was discussed in the module / session.
• Basta kumain, okay na.
• Ang taba ng bata / baby – ang healthy!
• Bata naman sya, hayaan mo kumain ng kahit anong gusto niya.
• Okay lang na matakaw siya. Growing boy / girl eh!