Belize celebrates World Food Day with a fair
Today is World Food Day and to celebrate the event, farmers, chefs and nutritionists laid out a spread that would make anyone hungry.
Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
Today forty-three food stalls set up shop at the Memorial Park as part of the official activities of World Food Day.
Students from across the city attended the event to sample the fare which included a wide variety of ethnic foods.
Myrna Manzanares, President, National Kriol Council
“They had samples of potato pound and boil up and powder bun and rice and beans. Well the samples gone like butter against sun.”
Juliana Arana, Member, National Garifuna Council
“These are porridges that we made today. This one is from breadfruit, it’s very good. You can have it as breakfast, just like you have your cereal in the morning you can have this in the morning.”
“We call this gungunde. This is made out of banana. You do the banana like chips and you dry it on a zinc or sun it outside and when it’s dry you pound it and then you sieve it and this is the product.”
The fair was organized by the National World Food Day Celebrations Committee to promote good food and stress the importance of health and nutrition.
Myrna Trejo, Nat’l Chairperson, Nat’l World Food Day Celebrations Committee
“If you would look around at the statistics we are all going through a lot of the degenerative diseases, hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol. So on this fair we have a very special area dedicated to health in which you can come, you can get a nutritional profile, they would educate you on what kinds of food to eat. And even in the food, we were very specific in instructing each of the persons preparing the meals, low fat, low salt, low carbohydrates because this is an educational, nutritional trade show.”
Jacqueline Godwin
“So somebody who is a diabetic like myself, would this be something good for me to eat?”
Juliana Arana
“Yes it can be, it can be. And you don’t use sugar, maybe you can use your splenda, you know, for the diabetics. Those who are not diabetic can use the regular sugar.”
The cuisine on display included Mayan and Filipino food. And while everyone was digging into the samples, the event’s Chairperson Myrna Trejo says she is all too aware that the nutritional needs of many of Belizean children are not being met.
Myrna Trejo
“We would hope, we would like that the production section of our country along with the industry would joint hands together. And I am sure if we are able to connect that link we will see a major change in our society.”
The event also included a poster and essay competition for primary and high school students sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture. First place winner was Denecia Grant of Holy Redeemer Primary School who took home five hundred dollars. Meanwhile officials say the deadline of regional essay competition has been extended until next week. The first place winner in that competition will receive three thousand dollars.
