Educating in nutrition

Educating in the provision of an adequate and/or healthy diet by improving awareness of nutritious foods, dietary deficiencies and the alternatives available, and related nutritional matters such as preparing and storing foods to optimize nutritional benefits.

Improving nutrition knowledge may be a powerful mechanism to achieve nutritional and health gains in both well-nourished and needy populations worldwide.

Several UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) projects in 1993 sought to build up knowledge both in and of nutritionally vulnerable groups. One project in Viet Nam, for example, successfully reduced vitamin A deficiency by improving women's awareness of dietary deficiencies and the alternatives available to them. Households were encouraged either to learn to identify and grow the foods they need in home gardens to fill their dietary gaps, or to use the income from home gardens to purchase those fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin A that they could not easily cultivate. Other FAO activities in 1993, in the field include among others: an Intercountry Workshop on Nutritional Education for South and East Asian Countries; a Near East regional training course; national training activities in Latin American and African countries; assisting policy-makers identify needy groups, and specialists helping governments determine the impact of their nutrition programmes. FAO has produced country nutrition profiles for 100 developing countries to provide a concise view of their food and nutrition status, and agricultural production.