“Healthy! Tasty! Recipes” were developed under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)’s Punjab Multisectoral Nutrition Advisory Project (MSNA: 2023-2026) to address the malnutrition prevailing among women and children in Pakistan. Unbalanced diets lead to issues like low birth weight and stunting, which increase the risk of chronic diseases later in life. While knowledge is key to a balanced diet, it is often hard to access in rural areas. To bridge this gap, these recipes are designed for:
1. Pregnant and lactating women
2. Infants of complementary feeding age (6-24 months)
3. Undernourished children
4. School-aged children
Overall, these recipes emphasize “Healthy, Tasty and Cook-friendly” as highlighted below:
• Use common vegetables and eggs rich in minerals, vitamins and protein.
• Follow WHO guidance on healthy diets by minimizing sugar, salt, and fat.
• Use techniques like steaming and shallow frying to retain more nutrients.
• Recommend chopping or grating veggies finely to improve texture for picky eaters.
• Maximize local flavors and traditional wisdom for wider acceptability.
• Encourage using home-grown produce from "nutrition gardens" (veggies and eggs).
Distributed through health centers and schools, these recipes aim to bring health and smiles to every kitchen in Punjab.
Sources of Nutrition values: the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Composition Table for Pakistan
