Nutritious Eating Patterns Are Key to Preventing Malnutrition

By Forayya Official
10 min read
May 11, 2023, 06:40 pm

Many people believe that malnutrition is caused only by nutritional deficiencies, but malnutrition can also occur due to excessive nutrient intake (overnutrition). The main factor that causes malnutrition is a person's eating patterns or habits. Eating patterns play a crucial role in preventing malnutrition. There is a well-recognized relationship between eating patterns and health. Since 1970, policymakers around the world have realized that the significance of food consumption goes beyond maintaining and improving health. The adequacy of nutrition is one of the factors in developing human resources. In order to effectively plan for improving the nutritional status of the population, all influential aspects need to be considered, including the influence of eating patterns on nutritional status.

Eating patterns refer to an individual's habits of consuming a balanced variety of foods to meet their nutritional needs, taking into account the types, quantities, frequencies, and schedules. The quantity of food refers to how much food enters our bodies and can be measured using household measures such as spoons, glasses, and cups. The types of food should be diverse because no single type of food contains all the necessary nutrients, except for breast milk. Additionally, there are interactions between nutrients in the body that require the assistance of other nutrients for absorption. For example, iron (Fe) needs protein to be absorbed by the body.

Meal frequency refers to how many times a person eats in a day. Ideally, we should have three main meals and two snack times, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. A good and proper eating pattern includes carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Meal timing refers to the time of day when we consume food. Proper meal timing can affect body weight. In addition to timing, we should also try to have consistent meal times every day because this helps our body understand and know when we eat, thereby increasing metabolic processes and maintaining weight. Recommendations for creating a good meal schedule include having breakfast before 9 a.m., as we need to replenish our empty stomach after several hours of sleep to start our activities, having lunch around 12 p.m. during the break time, and having dinner before 8 p.m. to allow time for digestion before sleep. Snacks should be consumed between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and dinner.

Studies show that around 11 million deaths worldwide are caused by poor or unhealthy eating patterns.

Surveys conducted in nearly 195 countries indicate that people consume an excessive amount of unhealthy food. This makes our daily food choices the largest killer, surpassing smoking and now being a cause of 1 in 5 deaths globally. On average, people in various countries consume sugary drinks ten times more than the recommended amount, and 86% consume high-salt foods. This realization emphasizes the importance of developing good eating patterns as early as possible because childhood eating habits lay the foundation for adult eating patterns and have long-term effects on health.

One way to maintain our health is by understanding our daily nutritional needs. Nutritional requirements refer to the minimum amount of nutrients needed by each individual, determined by factors such as age, gender, body weight, height, and level of physical activity. The requirements for each nutrient vary. Protein needs are around 10–15% of the total calorie intake, fat needs are about 10–25% of the total calorie intake, and carbohydrate needs are about 60–75% of the total calorie intake. The requirements for micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) can be assessed based on their sufficiency, as indicated in the Recommended Nutrient Intake table provided by the Ministry of Health.

Here are some tips to meet our nutritional needs:

1. Consume a variety of foods. Include a diverse range of foods in your diet to ensure a wide array of nutrients.

2. Choose natural foods. Prefer fresh, unprocessed foods over instant or processed ones, as they are generally healthier and provide more nutrients.

3. Balance calorie intake and expenditure: Maintain a balance between the calories you consume and the calories you burn through physical activity. Regular exercise can help burn calories.

4. Increase fruit and vegetable intake: aim to consume a sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables as they are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Remember, establishing and maintaining a balanced and nutritious eating pattern is crucial for long-term health and well-being.

Consume a variety of protein sources from animal and plant-based foods, drink at least 2.5 liters of water per day, and limit the intake of foods high in sugar, salt, and fat. Another small step is to start reading the nutritional information on food packaging. This information can be utilized by consumers to choose healthier packaged foods that meet their needs, especially paying attention to restricted contents such as sugar, salt, and fat. Research shows that individuals who read the nutritional information on food labels tend to consume less cholesterol and fat. This is further supported by a study conducted by Burton et al. (2009), which demonstrated changes in food choices after individuals reviewed the nutritional content of specific foods.

Forayya is here to assist the eating patterns of the Indonesian population by creating high-protein foods that are rich in amino acids, safe for children as complementary feeding (MPASI), and liked by the Indonesian community. Take control of your eating pattern with nutritious and safe food. Let's switch to Forayya!