Promoting
Household Nutritional Security
 |
| Preparing healthy and affordable One-Dish Meals |
In
Sri Lanka, achieving a balanced meal remains a challenge, which contributes to
food insecurity (UNICEF, 2023). To address this issue, a research team from the
Department of Applied Nutrition, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka (WUSL)
conducted a study to design One-Dish Meals (ODMs). These meals are intended to maximize
the use of home garden produce and include underutilized and uncommon
vegetables such as pumpkin, winged bean, mung bean, cowpea, and leafy greens.
The goal of the study was to develop nutritious, affordable, and high-satiety meals. The ODM concept ensures that a single meal provides a balanced ratio of calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrates, along with essential vitamins and minerals derived from plant-based ingredients (One-Dish-Meals-of-South-Asia, 2015).
Expanding
the ODM Concept Nationwide
Following
the success of sensory and satiety evaluations conducted by the WUSL team, the
initiative was scaled up across Sri Lanka. The Ministry of Agriculture and
Plantation Industries (MoA&PI) is implementing this intervention in
collaboration with WUSL under the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project
(CSIAP), which is financed by the World Bank.
A Training of Trainers (ToT) programme was organized to equip resource persons with the skills to promote ODMs effectively. The ToT was conducted under the guidance of MoA&PI and implemented by the CSIAP with multi-sectoral collaboration. A total of 93 participants attended, including 14 from the educational sector, 5 from the health sector, 69 from the agricultural sector, and 5 from other relevant institutions. The practical session was held at the In-Service Training Center, Gannoruwa.
Benefits
of the One-Dish Meal Concept
The
ODM concept directly addresses key aspects of food security:
·
Food affordability: Meals are cost-effective and can be prepared with
locally available ingredients.
·
Food accessibility: Ingredients are easily accessible through home
gardens and local markets.
·
Food availability: Promotes the use of seasonal and underutilized
crops.
·
Food utilization: Enhances dietary diversity and nutrient intake,
particularly for vulnerable households.
At
the conclusion of the ToT programme, participants gained knowledge on using
underutilized and uncommon vegetables, enhancing household nutrition and
dietary diversity.
30
One-Dish Meals Prepared and Demonstrated
During
the ToT programme, 30 nutritious and easy-to-prepare One-Dish Meals below were
demonstrated.
These
include:
1-Waya
Pumpkinach Melange | 2-Waya Pumpkinasia Patch | 3-Waya Murungasia Rice | 4-Waya
Ashybean Sizzle | 5-Waya Beetanash Mix | 6-Waya Pumpkileeks Savory |
7-Waya Cowpeanach Combo | 8-Waya Leeky Pea Carota | 9-Waya Ashleekin
Medley | 10-Waya Leeky Cowpeanash | 11-Waya Long Lasiea | 12-Waya Chickpea
Delight | 13-Waya Drumstick Bliss | 14-Waya Sweetpotato Savor | 15-Waya
Veggie Burst |16-Waya Juneplums Medley | 17-Waya Split Pea Delight | 18-Waya
Okra Medley | 19-Waya Star Bean Mix | 20-Waya Daikon Bliss | 21-Waya Brinjal
Bounty | 22-Waya Brinjal Moringa Stir | 23-Waya Goober Soy Delight | 24-Waya
Peanut Crunch | 25-Waya Baby Jackfruit Delicacy |26-Waya Moringasia Blend |
27-Waya Lasia Lotus Rice | 28-Waya Kohlrabi Stick | 29-Waya Munggo Sweet Mix |
30-Waya Vigna Jacky Mix
These meals combine nutritional balance, affordability, and household-level accessibility, making them ideal for promoting food security across Sri Lankan communities
By Rashmi
Navanjana, Project Trainee, CSIAP
