Healthy nutrition and food quality
In order to ensure a healthy diet and improve the quality of food, recommendations are made to promote a commitment to a healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet and a healthy diet; produced directly in the region and in accordance with national cultural traditions, as well as recommendations for healthy eating behaviour and adequate physical exercise.
The employees of the Agrarian Center participate in the realization of the project «Program on research of food safety, organization of nutrition and its influence on physical development of schoolchildren of general educational institutions», supported by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia. The aim of the project is to investigate the physical development of Armenian primary school children aged 6-9, the propensity for weight disorders (both excess and deficit), the nutritional status of schools and the identification of causes and consequencesInvestigative links with their physical development. Physical development indicators for children (height, weight, body mass index, blood pressure) are analysed and groups requiring continuous monitoring using remote monitoring of health indicators are identified. On the basis of the data obtained, balanced school feeding schemes are developed, and recommendations are made for periodic monitoring of nutrition quality and health indicators, including for parents of pupils with health problems.
Intensive training on healthy eating is conducted in schools with pre- and post-testing among learners, teachers and food processors. Proposals are being drawn up to amend legislation and appropriate nutritional education programmes are being prepared for teachers, schoolchildren and their parents.
The work is carried out in close coordination with the National School Feeding Programme of the Republic of Armenia, the School Feeding Project of the United Nations World Food Programme and the FAO Project «Capacity Development for Food Security and Nutrition in Selected Countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia».