KUCHING: Was your last meal a Malaysian Healthy 3S plate —3S being short for #sukusukuseparuh, or quarter, quarter, half? The Health Ministry is promoting ‘Suku-Suku Separuh’, the division of plate portion to a quarter for protein, a quarter for complex carbohydrates and half for fruits and vegetables.
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Tackling Obesity in Asean Report, Malaysia’s prevalence of obesity is at 13.3 percent, which is the highest in Southeast Asia.
Malaysia was among the top three countries in Asia with 11.5 percent of obese children, aged between six months and 12 years.
Ayam Brand — a home-grown household name famed for its wide range of quality, no preservatives and no added MSG, healthy and convenient canned food — is taking on the issue of obesity among Malaysian children by incorporating the 3S concept of the Malaysian Healthy Plate into its annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme.
This year, the brand is expanding the programme to children from primary schools.
The theme for this year’s campaign is ‘Ayam Brand Community Care Campaign 2019, Get Healthy Malaysia, Start Now’.
It will empower children from 10 states with information to identify healthier food choices and equip them with skills to prepare their own Malaysian Healthy Plate meal. The programme is open to children from eight years up.
In Sarawak, 20 children from Kompleks Kebajikan Laila Taib, Rumah Kanak-Kanak Toh Puan Hajah Norkiah Kuching, Salvation Army Kuching, SK Batu Lintang and SJK (C) Chung Hua No. 3
participated in the campaign.
The event kicked off with an interactive introduction to the #sukusukuseparuh concept, followed by five teams of five children preparing a meal based on the 3S principles, within 30 minutes with minimal assistance from adults, using recipes that have been vetted by a nutritionist.
According to Ayam Brand Borneo manager Tan Yann Yu, the CSR campaign which is now in its 12th year has contributed 1.76 million healthy meals for charity, providing nutritious food to more than 20,000 people from 482 charity homes and NGOs.
“Ayam Brand is extremely concerned on the obesity epidemic in the country and has set out to assist, starting with children as they are the ones who are most teachable and reachable,” he said.
Ayam Brand is taking the campaign online and amplifying it via social media through activations such as the Show Us Your Healthy Plate contest, as well as sharing the live updates of the event.
The four charity homes received two months’ supply of Ayam Brand products equivalent to 47,340 healthy meals for the total of 263 residents at these homes.
The winning team for the Ayam Brand Suku-Suku Separuh Healthy Festival 2019 in Sarawak was Rumah Kanak-Kanak Toh Puan Hajah Norkiah Kuching. The team received a trophy and certificates from Ayam Brand for their Malaysian Healthy Plate of fried rice, tuna cupcake and baked beans and corn salad.
Second place went to SJK Chung Hua No. 3 and third SK Batu Lintang. The two consolation prizes were won by Kompleks Kebajikan Laila Taib and Salvation Army Kuching.
