JEDDAH — Women Recreation Center of Jeddah Community Services organized and hosted “Slim Bite” healthy cooking and eating event as part of a yearlong awareness campaign. More than 1,300 people attended the event in Saudi Aramco compound at its complex in Al-Rehab District. The event's highlights were healthy cooking competitions by expert chefs, followed by inspiring lectures by the dietitian Mrs. Nasreen Zagzoog and Dr. Roqaya Attas, a women health expert. The kids enjoyed their special corner “Little Chef” food workshop, while the rest of the family benefited from the informative booths on healthy food choices, light cooking guidelines, and the vital role of physical activity. In addition, there were attractive booths such as the mini supermarket that displayed healthier food alternatives and encouraged families to shop right with a conscious mind. Another special booth had expert dietitians educating families on how food ingredients, preparation and combination contribute to healthy food. They presented healthy recipes, taste free samples, and explained how to build a healthy meal based on “Choose My Plate”, the new nutrition guide promoted in the USA and launched by First Lady Michelle Obama. Another booth exhibited the wealth of benefits in the Prophet's food teachings and distributed a children story about healthy eating habits. There was also an environmental clinic handled by Dr. Fahd Turkistani from the Ministry of Health, teaching families about the health effects of wrong environmental handling of food. In addition, there was an interactive section about fire safety in the kitchen with safe demonstrations in case of home fires. Fifteen winners of the cooking competition were given prizes, and children who participated in cooking workshops were rewarded with educational toys. Several companies promoting healthy food education participated in the event and displayed their information in the booths. Around 20 unpaid volunteers also participated and rendered their support to conduct the fruitful event.
