Economic crisis!?

Health authorities have made many warnings in the midst of this economic crisis of a possible increase in nutritional deficiencies, which can result not only in malnutrition but also the opposite, i.e. obesity and other related disorders - diabetes, high blood pressure and hypercholesterolemia, among others.

The decreased purchasing power of households is reflected in a change in consumption habits, particularly in relation to food. When shopping, the price has been indicated as one of the most important factors in choosing food. Thus, an increase in the consumption of cheaper products and foods of high energy density is expected, which promote satiety and can feed an entire family. Many of these products have low nutritional value and are rich in fat and/or sugars and/or sodium. There are still no specific data on the change in consumption patterns of households over the last year, however it is known that the sales of products such as milk powder and formula, non-dairy powders and formula and other cereal flakes have increased, suggesting their increased consumption as a replacement for main meals. These products do not provide a nutritional composition that is suitable for a main meal for adults or for children and this replacement may limit the intake of vitamins and minerals derived from fruits and vegetables and may be associated with an increased intake of sugars.

The Portuguese Association of Dietitians considers food education a fundamental pillar for reversing this problem. There are ways of having a healthy and cheap diet and it is essential to convey these good practices. The APD lists some examples here:

- Reading nutritional labels is very important, since very similar products can have very different nutritional compositions that may not be reflected in the price;

- Seasonal products bought in bulk are much cheaper than packaged products;

- Adults do not need to eat meat or fish every day;

- Pulses such as chick peas, beans, lentils, peas, etc. are a good source of protein, carbohydrates and fibre, and they can be an alternative to meat/fish in some meals and be lower priced;