A guava a day better than an apple a day – Khan

Nasser Khan, the producer of posters displaying various fruits, vegetables, herbs and root crops that are grown locally, has encouraged students to consume local fruits and juices.{{more}}

“A guava a day is better for you than an apple a day. It has been proven to have more nutritious content than an apple, so don’t buy that line,” said Khan, speaking at the official handover of the posters last Friday, at the First Caribbean Investment Services office in Kingstown.

Khan, an author, sports analyst and carnival enthusiast, asked the students, who came from the St Mary’s Roman Catholic, Kingstown Preparatory, C.W. Prescod and Kingstown Anglican schools, to show by hand if they had any guavas or ‘five finger’ fruits over the past two weeks.

No one responded.

Hands went up in abundance when asked if they had apples or grapes during that same period of time.

“It’s not your fault. Probably mommy and daddy and granny don’t give it to you because it’s easier to get an apple and a grape.

“It is sad that many West Indians today are more familiar with foreign fruits and drinks than the delicious, nutritious and natural crops of what we can have here at home,” he said.

Khan also encouraged the students to plant root crops, vegetables and fruit trees in order to cut back on the importation of foods and drinks from overseas.

Girlyn Miguel, the Minister of Education, endorsed Khan’s calls for the use of local fruits and drinks, pointing out that an exercise promoting healthy eating is carried out in schools.

“We have in our schools a day which we call fruit day, so on that day you eat no corn curls; you eat nothing but fruits, so we are well on our way….”

Miguel, also the Deputy Prime Minister, said that her ministry endorsed the FCIS sponsored initiative, which she said is a timely production.

“We recognize the importance of utilizing all that is truly Vincentian, but we must first know what they are.

“These posters will serve well, as teaching/ learning resources for our clientele in the classroom and beyond.

“Plants are the backbone of all life on earth, and an essential resource for all human beings. Everything we eat comes directly or indirectly from plants,” she said.(JJ)