Sharing nutrition tips in a nutshell online

With the mechanism of utilising ‘Burra Katha’ and puppet shows to educate people about nutrition hitting a roadblock in view of the curbs imposed in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, organising such programmes in virtual mode appears to be the practical way out.

‘National Nutrition Week’

The Department of Home Science of the Sri Padmavathi Mahila Viswa Vidyalayam (SPMVV) has launched similar initiatives as part of the ‘National Nutrition Week’ observed in the first week of September.

With various restrictions in force on movement of people, the students of B.Voc (Nutrition and Healthcare Sciences) led by the nodal officer, N. Rajani, have opted for ‘virtual’ awareness programme for women in the identified villages.

“Our students have made videos on the importance of nutritious food, macro and micro nutrient consumption, importance of foods that help boost immunity during the pandemic, need for higher nutrition during menstrual cycle, foods rich in vitamins and micro-nutrients, and special diet for those suffering from anaemia, osteoporosis and obesity among other topics,” says assistant professor Santhisree Sunkara. The videos have been sent to K. Padmaja, Child Development Project Officer, Puttur, who coordinates with the women’s groups and circulates the videos among the homemakers in the villages.

Balanced diet

“A balanced diet with a combination of all essential nutrients plays a pivotal role in the growth and development of human mind and body. Homemakers are our target group,” Dr. N. Rajani explains. Even as we are not being able to reach out to the target audience through favourite channels such as puppet shows and ‘Burra Katha’, the students are planning to make more videos on talk shows with experts, she adds.