Healthy Eating Awareness Week Features International Day without Meat

By: Wiliane Passos, South American Division, and Adventist Review

Adventist College of Bahia (FADBA) in northern Brazil recently promoted a week of awareness to correct misconceptions about vegetarianism and promote a healthier diet. The March 15-20, 2021 week of special emphasis on better nutrition and healthy living served as an introduction to International Day without Meat, celebrated every year on March 20.

Held in partnership with the Adventist Education Network in the Brazilian states of Bahia and Sergipe, the week-long program included tips on how to stay healthy, vegetarian recipes, and a live panel discussion on YouTube with the participation of experts in those topics.

“One of the reasons for not adopting a healthy diet is the lack of trustworthy information and the myths created about meat-replacement options,” organizers said. The activities hosted by FADBA sought to teach people how to make diet changes to produce better health outcomes.

Health Emphasis Week

Speakers during the week included FADBA nutrition program director Jeandson Moraes, FADBA nutrition professor Tchana Oliveira, Peruvian Union University (UPeU) nutrition program director María Miranda, and South American Division associate education director Sócrates Quispe.

Valane Araújo, who has a YouTube channel where she shares vegetarian recipes, also participated. Araújo shared practical information on the importance of knowing food and how to transform simple ingredients into rich and tasty dishes, ensuring you get the daily nutrients the human body needs.

The Role of Adventist Education

The event is part of the Adventist schools’ calendar in Bahia and Sergipe. Its purpose, leaders said, is to share information about the benefits of adopting a healthy diet with the students’ parents. It is also to intended to emphasize how good nutrition can impact the family context and show that it is possible to launch health changes with the products you typically have at home.

Quispe explained that learning to eat and live healthily is part of the mission of Adventist education, with seeks a wholistic development of students.

“Our Adventist educational institutions include nutrition programs to promote healthy eating,” Quispe said. “We have also partnered with [Adventist-managed health-food company] Superbom, which provides healthy food options to replace animal foods. Adventist education works at various levels to share Bible-based beliefs on healthy living across our schools.”

Those who followed the meetings online were able to ask questions about how to adopt healthier eating habits. They also asked about the relationship between physical and mental health.

International Day without Meat

International Day without Meat was launched in the United States in 1985 by animal rights organizations. The commemoration aims to inform people about the advantages of a proper vegetarian diet and make them aware of the importance of environmentally friendly eating habits.

March 20 was chosen for this annual event as it coincides with the beginning of spring and the notion of renewal and positive life changes.

The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Portuguese-language news site.