Empowering Malaysian mothers to create healthier meals for their families through promoting balanced eating.
GOOD nutrition is the cornerstone of well-being, influencing the health and vitality of individuals and communities alike.
With a legacy spanning more than 110 years contributing to the nutrition and access to high quality food for the rakyat, Nestlé (Malaysia) Bhd has recently embraced a transformative approach to further nurture healthier, more resilient communities through its “Good for you” global strategy.
At the heart of this strategy is the company’s commitment to provide tasty and balanced diets for consumers today and for generations to come, making a positive and sustainable difference in nutrition and diets globally.
Nutritional strategy
“Our ‘Good for you’ strategy is premised on two priorities,” says Nestlé Malaysia group corporate nutrition manager Wong Mei Ching.
“Firstly, it is about maintaining and improving the nutritional value of our product portfolio through innovation and renovation.
“It is also about increasing the content of key nutrients (micronutrients) and expanding the options for healthier eating such as expanding our range of plant-based products or nutritional solutions supporting healthy ageing needs.
“Secondly, we strive to guide and educate consumers towards healthier lifestyles with balanced consumption in mind through communication and engagement.”
A key focus area to address is the vulnerable B40 communities, where nutritional gaps are more apparent due to challenges to access consistently to nutritious food choices and their limited economic resources.
Wong says Nestlé’s range of fortified foods and beverages can help address key nutritional gaps among Malaysian consumers.
Empowering communities
Nestlé aims to uplift these communities through impactful interventions.
To this end, its nutritional campaigns are premised on cultivating healthier habits, measured through improvements in knowledge, attitudes and practices.
One such programme is the Putra Community Nutrition Ambassador Programme (PUTRACNAP) in collaboration with Universiti Putra Malaysia, empowering mothers as nutrition ambassadors within their communities.
The pilot initiative has raised nutrition awareness for 63 mothers and their children from various people’s housing project (PPR) and public housing communities in the Klang Valley, where health screenings, fitness assessments, nutrition education and counselling were provided to enhance food security and nutrition understanding within these communities.
Participants also engaged in clean-up activities, recycling workshops and urban farming workshops to help communities eat better by growing fresh produce.
Another initiative is the Sajian Seimbang Bersama Maggi campaign, involving eight PPRs within the Klang Valley with the aim of empowering healthy eating habits through exciting interactive games and showcasing affordable balanced recipes with Nestlé chefs.
The Maggi MyMenu IQ tool, featured on the Maggi website, is a unique digital tool that helps consumers plan more balanced meals.
With this intuitive tool, consumers are able to determine the nutritional score of a selected dish they wish to cook and then using the tool, choose what side dishes to accompany it to enhance the nutritional balance of their meals.
The Nestlé for Healthier Kids (N4HK) programme focuses on nutrition education among primary school children, teaching them about the food pyramid and #QuarterQuarterHalf or Suku Suku Separuh healthy plate concept.
Healthy commitments
Wong shares that Nestlé is committed to making a positive and sustainable impact on the health and nutrition of individuals and communities.
“We want consumers to understand that most foods can be part of a balanced diet, we want people to have the right behaviours towards food and particularly, to differentiate between good and bad diets.
“Educating and empowering Malaysians is important towards this goal.”
The company’s commitment is also evident through the Nestlé for Healthier Kids (N4HK) programme, with the global aim of empowering 50 million children worldwide to lead healthier lives by the year 2030.
A collaboration with the Education Ministry and Nutrition Society of Malaysia, the initiative focuses on nutrition education, teaching primary school children about the food pyramid and #QuarterQuarterHalf or Suku Suku Separuh healthy plate concept.
Holistic approach
Alongside its community engagement and outreach, Nestlé is proactively expanding its range of plant-based offerings.
From a health perspective, it is known that plant-based diets are generally low in cholesterol and saturated fats while being a good source of fibre and essential vitamins and minerals, while also being better for the environment.
Meeting the needs of more health-conscious consumers, the company’s growing range of offerings includes dairy-free drinks under the Milo and Nescafé brands, the pioneering Harvest Gourmet plant-based range, which continues to see exciting new additions and the most recently launched Nestlé Goodnes dairy-free drinks, with two initial varieties: oat and almond, and oat.
Through initiatives such as the “Eat good, feel good” challenge, the company continues to encourage the adoption of plant-based foods as part of a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle.
“Our goal is to nurture a sustainable ecosystem where the community becomes not just consumers, but active participants in their own well-being,” says Wong.
“Our holistic approach showcases our commitment to raising awareness and understanding of nutrition and helping people take action.
“Our vision is about addressing immediate nutritional needs as well as fostering a healthier, happier and more sustainable future for all.”
