P21 per meal is "not enough" to maintain a healthy diet, an official from the National Nutrition Council (NNC) asserted Wednesday, August 14.
The NNC made the statement following the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)'s claims that to avoid being classified as "food poor," a typical family of five should spend no less than P64 per person per meal.
This equates to roughly P21.3 per meal per person.
According to 2023 data, NEDA has set the monthly food threshold for a family of five at P9,581.
However, Bella Basalong, Program Coordinator for the NNC Cordillera Administrative Region, criticized NEDA's food basket as outdated and not reflective of current inflation rates.
She emphasized that P20 per meal might only suffice to curb hunger but would fail to provide the necessary nutritional intake.
“If we rely on a P20 per meal budget, it’s not enough. It might only cover basic hunger but will likely lead to a diet high in carbohydrates and insufficient in essential nutrients. A prolonged diet like this could lead to health issues and decreased performance,” Basalong said.
Basalong urged for a reassessment of food prices and seasonal options to find more achievable and affordable ways to ensure a healthy diet.
“To maintain a healthy diet, we need to consider current prices and seasonal foods to identify more practical and cost-effective options,” she added.
Senators had earlier slammed NEDA for using "outdated" data as its basis for economic planning, as inflation once again quickened to 4.4 percent last July.
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