Make a variety of foods and nutrition sources, such as carbohydrate and protein sources.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Expert team of the Task Force for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling has encouraged Indonesians to explore the diverse foods available to serve as foodstuff variants at home.

"Prepare a variety of foods and nutritional sources, such as carbohydrate and protein sources," Niken Salindrisaid, a member of the expert team, stated during a videoconference at the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) in Jakarta on Thursday.

Salindrisaid believes that a variety in food intake of each individual can also influence the national food security.

In addition, the different types of foods can be used to create an array of interesting menus, she noted.

The people should not just stick to rice but they can swap it with corn. Corn is a substitute staple food for rice in East Nusa Tenggara Province, while sago is the staple food in Papua Province, she pointed out.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has forecast that the COVID-19 pandemic could trigger a global food crisis.

In response to the FAO’s projection, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has urged officials to ensure precise assessment of Indonesia’s rice stocks, as the nation enters the fasting month of Ramadhan and the dry season amid the coronavirus pandemic.

This calls for Indonesia to maintain a cautious stance since all countries, including rice producers, would prioritize their domestic needs, the president stated, adding that the imposition of a lockdown could impact the staple food supply chain.
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