With the variety of food we eat daily, most of us think that we are eating enough. There’s also the issue of being fat or thin, the physical body sizes mistaken for being healthy or unhealthy.
According to research, the percentage of Filipino households that do not fulfill their dietary energy requirements has been increasing. On the latest Food Consumption Survey by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology in 2013, it was revealed that 69.3% did not fulfill their dietary energy requirements – higher by 2.4% than the previous survey in 2008.
In addition, research says Filipinos are only able to meet 39% of the daily 400 grams of fruits and vegetables suggested by the World Health Organization. With less of the important naturally occurring nutrients from fruits – such as polyphenols from grapes that help the heart – individuals are exposed to risks of lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular disorders.
The good news is that we can still do something about it. We can still make our families healthy by consuming 100% fruit juices as healthy complements to whole fruits. While whole fruits are a great source of fiber, 100% fruit juices also carry essential vitamins and minerals needed by the body to function well and prevent many chronic diseases.
Recently, I joined a taste test with 2 of my mommy friends to know which grape drink being offered in the local market is made of 100% grape juice. It turned out that Welch’s is the one. All 3 of us agreed that Welch’s taste the fruitiest and contains the most fruit content as compared to 2 other local brands. I found out 8 ounces of pure fruit juice such as Welch’s 100% grape juice are equivalent to serving a whole cup of fruit.
Welch’s is a much convenient way of offering nutrients to the family. And it doesn’t have to be in the form of drinks only. In the Welch’s launch event, the host served different kinds of treats which used Welch’s grape juice. I also made my own berry banana cake with Welch’s. My husband and kids like banana cake so I baked one with a twist and added more nutrients to it by adding Welch’s.
Berry Banana Cake Recipe:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup over ripe banana
1/3 melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup Welch’s 100 grape juice
1/4 cup blueberry jam
Preheat oven to 350 C. Put in the ingredients as listed in a big bowl and whisk together. Don’t over mix. Pour mixture in a non-stick rectangular baking pan.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or use the toothpick method to check if the cake is already baked enough. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool off before serving. Add blueberry jam before serving if desired.
To learn more about Welch’s products, follow its Facebook page at @welchsph
