As part of the ‘Nestlé Breakfast Cereals’ regionwide initiative to promote the importance of a nutritious breakfast – and thanks to the Dubai Health Authority (DHA)’s commitment to encourage health and nutrition awareness in the UAE - a “Nestlé Breakfast Academy” session was recently conducted with employees of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai at their offices.
Not only is this joint initiative a result of the DHA, the Directorate and Nestlé’s commitment to Nutrition, Health and Wellness but also demonstrates pro-activeness in the community.
Delivered by Dr. Wafaa Helmi Ayesh, Director of Clinical Nutrition Department at Dubai Health Authority, the “Nestlé Breakfast Academy” course sought to emphasize the importance of breakfast in the overall diet and provided participants practical insights on choosing healthy breakfast options for both adults and children. The interactive program also provided an opportunity for participants to discuss issues related to lifestyle and weight management with Nestlé nutritionists.
Speaking on the Dubai Health Authority’s cooperation with the program, Karine Janho, Nutritionist at Nestlé Middle East and course organizer said, “The Clinical Nutrition Department of DHA has long been involved in promoting health and nutrition awareness in the UAE. Enlisting the Department’s support would allow the ‘Nestlé Breakfast Academy’ initiative to reach and benefit a wider audience, while affording an opportunity for the two entities to contribute towards achieving a common goal. We will continue to rollout more activities across the UAE in the coming months and we look forward to integrating our efforts with DHA.”
The “Nestlé Breakfast Academy” course has been devised by Nestlé nutritionists, in accordance with internationally approved nutritional recommendations, to help empower mothers around the region with practical knowledge on planning nutritious breakfast meals for the whole family, in order to help achieve healthy growth, optimal performance, healthy weight and general wellness.
Since the program’s rollout in November 2009, the “Nestle Breakfast Academy” course has been conducted at a number of locations in the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Syria, and Lebanon - providing insightful breakfast nutrition tips to mothers throughout these regions.
According to studies, breakfast is crucial because it helps kickstart the body metabolism, provides energy for better mental and physical performance and controls the appetite. More significantly, research shows that essential nutrients missed at breakfast are less likely to be compensated for during the other meals of the day.
A good breakfast option that contains all the essential nutrients including carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals which is also easy to prepare is whole grain fortified cereals consumed with milk; such as the wide range offered by Nestlé Breakfast Cereals.
Interestingly, one bowl of Nestlé Breakfast Cereals, NESQUIK® or CHOCAPIC®, with milk provides at least 25% of the recommended daily intake for 8 vitamins, iron and calcium, according to Janho. Similarly, a bowl of FITNESS® with skimmed milk provides up to 25% of women’s daily iron needs, in addition to other vitamins, minerals and fiber yet it is low on calories.
The “Nestlé Breakfast Academy” course will continue to be rolled out in several locations across the UAE and other Arab countries in the coming months.
