Unilever teams up with the Department of Education to bring Knorr nutrition education to public schools

Proper nutrition is important for kids to perform well in school, where they need the energy, boost in immunity, and support for physical and mental development the most. With proper nutrition, children can focus better, enhance their memory, be more engaged in their classes, and avoid absences due to sickness—which can all help them reach academic success. 

These benefits of nutrition are what Unilever, in partnership with the Department of Education, aims to enlighten more people about through a nutrition education program featuring informative videos and recipe booklets to be distributed to public schools. From students and their parents to teachers and educators, this program hopes to reach everyone’s eyes and ears to show the importance of nutrition in every child’s daily life. 

Led by Knorr, one of Unilever’s key brands in nutrition, the initiative sees 40,000 USB drives containing educational videos and 60,000 recipe booklets co-created with the Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute as two key tools in giving better awareness and access to nutrition.

The educational videos, launched as the Knorr Makulay ang Buhay show, mark the first-ever nutrition-themed branded edutainment program for kids. It is co-produced with the country’s current biggest local network, GMA, and features content promoting healthier eating habits among less privileged Filipino families. To make learning about nutrition more exciting and engaging for children, the Makulay ang Buhay show’s 13 episodes have fun games, songs, and stories that also mirror the Department of Education’s learning plan. 

Meanwhile, Knorr also collaborated with local chefs and nutritionists in developing 63 nutritious and budget-friendly recipes for all meals of the day—from breakfast to lunch and dinner. These recipes are featured in recipe booklets to be distributed in public schools and serve dual purposes: educating parents in the Nutri-Sarap Program and teaching children through the Makulay ang Buhay Show. 

A collaboration for nutrition 

The partnership of Unilever Philippines with the Department of Education kicked off with a Memorandum of Agreement signed in October 2024. From now until 2026, it will focus on disseminating accessible nutrition education to benefit many public school students, educators, and parents across the country. 

“Knorr and Unilever have been long-time advocates of nutritious, delicious, and accessible meals. And just like how we’re very, very happy that we partner with parents and our communities through our Nutri-Sarap program, we’re also very glad that we finally have a partnership with the Department of Education. [We are also] very thankful for our Filipino teachers [who can finally bring] our Nutrition education program to classrooms across the nation,” shared Unilever Philippines’ Nutrition Philippines Business Lead, Marinelle Villanueva. 

“Thank you very much sa Unilever Philippines sa Makulay ang Buhay project. Teaching Nutrition and producing shows para sa ating Kabataan, para sa ating mga mamamayan, Thank you very much. This will be a very useful project at makakatulong sa ating mga learners,” shared Department of Education secretary Sonny Angara.

Over two decades ago, Knorr began its advocacy of promoting nutrition with a feeding program that reached a million Filipinos—which brought light to how feeding alone couldn’t fully and sustainably combat malnutrition due to underlying issues like limited resources and education. This led to Knorr shifting its focus to nutrition education in 2017, which led to key initiatives like the Knorr Nutri-Sarap Program. 

Knorr Nutri-Sarap has since been recognized as a best-in-class purpose initiative and has inspired similar executions throughout multiple Unilever markets, including in Indonesia with the Royco Nutrimenu Program. 

Through these programs, Unilever has reached and educated approximately 12.5 million Filipinos on the importance of nutrition in daily life. Last July 2024, Knorr also announced its commitment to expand its reach in teaching more about nutrition to a cumulative number of 15 million Filipinos by 2030. 

By empowering Filipino families and providing them with easier access to more information on nutrition—starting with its benefits and importance up to how proper nutrition can be incorporated into meals even with a limited budget, more children can better propel themselves to success and grow into healthier, smarter, and happier individuals. 

Learn more about Knorr’s nutrition education programs and partnership with the Department of Education through the official Knorr website and social media channels. 

INQUIRER.net BrandRoom/HM