Budget-friendly recipes for healthier communities

Unilever Philippines’ nutrition business unit marked its 22nd year of advocacy, urging partners to keep fighting undernutrition in the Philippines. Led by its biggest food brand, Knorr, the company pledged to reach 15 million lives by 2030 through the Knorr Nutri-Sarap and Makulay ang Buhay program.

Themed “Nutri-Sarap Tulong sa Malusog na Bukas,” nutrition experts and advocates recently gathered at an event hosted by Unilever Philippines to celebrate over two decades of championing nutrition, in time for the country’s commemoration of Nutrition Month.

Government stakeholders, such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Education, and Department of Science and Technology Food and Nutrition Research Institute, alongside other experts and advocates Philippine Association of Nutritionists, Nutritionist- Dietitians’ Association of the Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Food Manufacturers Inc., Philippines Business for Social Progress, Gawad Kalinga and Edukasyon.PH, were in attendance.

Knorr Philippines’ brand ambassador, Abi Marquez, led a cooking demonstration and talked about her personal views as an influencer of home-cooked dishes and its impact on the public’s perception of nutrition.

Unilever Philippines chairman and chief executive officer Fredy Ong credited Unilever’s sustainable business model, where business performance integrates sustainability, as it has enabled the company to grow the business and do more for its communities.

“Our Nutrition business’ agricultural ingredients from the Philippines are 100-percent sustainably sourced, thereby contributing to the livelihood and continued upskilling of Filipino farmers. Previous investments made in efficient manufacturing operations have a positive impact on the value chain and help reduce our overall impact on the environment. We take great care on how we bring our products to consumers, from farm to fork,” shared Ong.

Knorr brand representatives, Hanna Laurel-Villaroman and Hannah Banocnoc, shared that the Nutri-Sarap program together with the Makulay ang Buhay program have recorded 12.5 million lives reached cumulatively. They also shared detailed plans to scale program impact and reach its 2030 ambition.

Building on the success of Nutri-Sarap, Knorr has also launched an improved Nutrition Education toolkit that will enable nutrition advocates to seamlessly adapt Knorr’s Nutri-Sarap program across the country.

“Each nutritious, delicious and affordable recipe shared and each household empowered through education, contributes to a healthier future for our country,” shared Marinelle Villanueva, Unilever Philippines Nutrition Business Unit lead.

The event concluded with a ceremonial activity enjoining guests to show their commitment for better nutrition for Filipinos.

Nutritious, delicious and accessible

Knorr’s nutrition advocacy began over two decades ago with feeding programs reaching one million Filipinos. However, limited resources and insufficient nutrition education hindered further reach. This led Knorr to shift its focus to nutrition education to address these gaps and expand their program’s impact.

In collaboration with local chefs, nutritionists, and the DOST-FNRI, Knorr created 63 nutritious, budget-friendly recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. These recipes are included in educational modules and recipe books, used in teaching activities and featured on the national TV show “Makulay ang Buhay.”

As a leading global consumer goods company with a vast nutrition portfolio, Unilever aims to make a significant impact on people and the planet. Through its sustainable business model and Nutri-Sarap advocacy, Unilever Nutrition is a world-class force for good in food.