Singapore

AN extended collaboration between Prudential Singapore and KidSTART Singapore will see 1,300 families benefit from their nutrition programme, Healthy with KidSTART.

Last year, the programme served 800 families, and distributed health food items such as milk and multi-vitamins, and resources on early childhood nutrition.

Families with greater food security concerns received an additional supply of fresh produce from October to April this year.

But with the extended programme - which started on May 11 - beneficiary families will receive fresh produce and guidance on how to prepare healthy meals.

Chief executive officer of Prudential Singapore, Dennis Tan, said that by extending the programme, Prudential hopes to "provide a foundation for more parents to instill healthy eating habits in their children". Children's growing years prove vital in providing them the right nutrition for growth and development. Food preferences and eating habits formed in this phase also affect their behaviour and health in the future, so Mr Tan hopes the programme can give parents the resources they need for healthy and nutritious meals. These resources include deliveries of fresh fruits and vegetables, and recipe cards, and will continue to be distributed even during the heightened Covid-19 alert measures.

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The recipes were curated by a nutritionist from the Singapore Nutrition and Dietetics Association, Charlotte Mei, for the programme and are simple and cost-effective.

"The recipes have benefited me a lot as my children now love eating potatoes, fruits and vegetables in their dishes. Everything in the pack was fresh and delicious," said Siti Marliana, a KidSTART beneficiary.

Good guide for well-balanced meals

Some 2,000 children in the programme will also receive a Healthy Plate, modelled after the Health Promotion Board's recommended proportion of carbohydrates, proteins and vegetables and fruit in a meal. Rahayu Buang, CEO of KidSTART said: " The Healthy Plate will be a good guide for families to prepare well-balanced meals for their children."

Prudential will also host a series of online workshops conducted by Ms Mei for the families and volunteers. "We hope that through the programme, more KidSTART families will form healthy eating habits which will give them a good start in life," Mdm Rahayu shared. The programme is part of a joint inititative between KidSTART and the Ministry of Social and Family Development launched in 2019, called Growing Together with KidSTART.