The Healthy Farm brand of Global Food Industries (GFI), a leading world-class value-added frozen food manufacturing company that is part of Albatha Holding, one of the largest conglomerates in the UAE, has made another milestone this year with the landmark launch of its Healthy Living Program, which was held today at GEMS Educations The Kindergarten Starters school.

The first-of-its-kind program in the UAE is set to be included in the curriculum of The Kindergarten Starters to emphasize the significance of healthy nutrition and introduce at an early age the concept of healthy living. The 13-module program covers many broad areas of interest, including well-being and also exciting culinary-related subjects that can be presented and taught in the form of creative storytelling, drawings, photos, and videos--highlighting the unique Young Chef Academy program. The 13 modules are Healthy Meals and Snacks; Healthy Living/My Pledge; Fresh Vegetables and Salads; Healthy Beverages and Smoothies; Bakery; Food Innovation; Food Communication; Healthy Eating Habits; Balanced Diet; Exercise; Basics in Kitchen Safety; Etiquette; and Food Presentation. Chefs and nutritionists were involved in the creation of the modules to ensure that they meet the programs objectives.

The schools 5,000 students will have access to the Healthy Living and Young Chef Academy Programs built from scratch and offered by Healthy Farm as part of its advocacy to promote healthy living in local society. By instilling the importance of good nutrition and healthy lifestyle in children, the program seeks to help build a healthy nation with physically and mentally strong population, in line with the vision of the leadership of the UAE.

During his opening speech at the event, Jacek Plewa, General Manager GFI, took note of the importance of following healthy eating habits, especially across young children. Meanwhile, clinical dietician Zeina Bachir gave a lecture to shed light on the different aspects of healthy living. Afterwards, the fun, appealing, and specially designed Healthy Living Book was given out to the children to teach them about daily healthy food choices, day-to-day healthy living activities, nutritious meals, balanced diet, healthy habits& meal portions and food labeling. The unique book also contains easy healthy cooking tips and fun quizzes for children and their parents. The young attendees engaged in several entertaining games as part of the activities. The Healthy Living event concluded on a high note, with the kids eating delicious and nutritious snacks carefully prepared jointly by kids and Healthy Farm Chefs and nutritional experts for the occasion.

A recent industry report released by Ipsos Ethnography Centre of Excellence shows an alarming spike in the number of health-related issues among children mainly due to sedentary lifestyle as a result of too much use of gadgets, poor eating habits, no restrictions on meal portion, and informal mealtime rituals, among others.

The Young Chef Academy Program aims to address these issues and more through an engaging and exciting learning experience. The program targets to make healthy food and cooking cool again, positively influencing both parents and children towards good nutrition and healthy habits. This is key as Ipsos research indicates that despite the rising concern and campaigns on healthy living, unless the message is delivered in an engaging way, their effect is limited. Additionally, the program will underscore the power and role of eating together and interacting with each other during meals in relation to promoting good health.

Jacek Plewa, General Manager, GFI, said: Healthy Farm was developed with the future of our children and our local communities in mind. As such, apart from offering families a range of healthy food choices, we aim to educate and focus on the well-being and healthy living of our kids. Tapping fun and educational ways, we seek to instill in our children the love of delicious and nutritious good food. We aspire to develop in them a mindset of prioritizing their health, making conscious decisions about their wellbeing, leading to a happy, long and fulfilling life. The Healthy Living Program seeks to educate our kids about the benefits of superfoods over other food ingredients and equip them with the ability to correctly identify healthy versus unhealthy food. We are happy to work with The Kindergarten Starters in this significant endeavor. Like us, the school also envisions a world where our children are empowered through education to lead a healthy lifestyle.

GFI is the first Emirati company to offer a healthy range of food products dedicated to the overall well-being of UAE citizens and residents. As we sustain our momentum, we will continuously innovate in line with the UAE Governments efforts to improve the quality of life and raise the standard of living in the country, he added.

Healthy Farms Nothing to Hide, The Choice is Yours promise reflects its commitment to offer healthy food products with unmatched taste. Also, part of the brands mission is to create more awareness about healthy eating habits as reflected in its Healthy Farm My Pledge initiative. This initiative is about commitment on healthy nutrition, fitness, and wellbeing actions towards a healthy and happy life.

In light of increasing consumer demand for healthy food alternatives, Healthy Farm is the first and only local company to address this shift in consumer food preference. It has introduced its Never from meat range of products under its Healthy Farm brand as a response to the growing need.

The range consists of nutritious and deliciously tasty Healthy Farm plant-based pea protein burgers, infused with kale and quinoa superfoods. Matching or even surpassing in taste of their animal meat counterparts, these plant-based products are expected to appeal to a larger consumer base who are health conscious and concerned about the well-being of their children and family. They are also suitable for vegetarian and vegan consumers.

GFI has been the recipient of numerous awards thanks to its innovative Healthy Farm products. The company was this years 4 Star Winner of the UAE Innovation Awards and the recipient of a special award for Spreading innovation culture throughout the UAE private sector. This is the second consecutive year that GFI has been recognized for innovation, and the only one across all sectors to have won a total of three UAE Innovation awards. GFIs Healthy Farm Plant Protein Burgers range was also named the Most Innovative Halal Product at the Gulfood Innovation Awards 2019. Healthy Farm is the first brand to win four Gulfood Innovation Awards for three years in a row.