Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 5, 1 May 1992 — Plate lunch challenge entry deadline May 4 [ARTICLE]

Plate lunch challenge entry deadline May 4

By Maleolm Chun

Last year's Kamehameha Day celebration at Kapi'olani Park in Waikiki featured the first Great Hawaiian Plate Luneh Challenge sponsored by the Office of Hawaiian Health and its O'ahu Native Hawaiian Health Task Force. The event was covered by loeal newspapers and nationally through the lnformation Center of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute network. The Office of Hawaiian Health, part of the state Department of Health, has since received inquiries about the plate luneh event from Kansas to Santa Moniea, Calif. By popular request, the Great Hawaiian Plate Luneh Challenge II will be held again during the Kamehameha Day celebrations at Kapi'olani Park on Saturday, June 6. Public viewing of this year's entries will be from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. There will be displays and educational materials on nutrition and health, and staff and eouneil

members on hand to answer questions about Native Hawaiian health and nutrition. The goal of the plate luneh challenge is to encourage the creation of an affordable, tasty and nutritious Hawaiian plate luneh that incorporates current recommendations of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, utilizing traditional and modified foods and recipes, to promote a healthier attitude towards eating, in line with traditional Native Hawaiian ways.

Another purpose is to convey the message that what is today considered "basic" Hawaiian food, such as kalua pig, laulau and the like were feast foods in ancient times, and not every day fare. The average daily diet was low in fat and high in carbohydrate, foods such as fish and vegetables were abundant, eeonomieal and healthy to eat, compared with foods whieh are selected commonly today. The guidelines for a Hawaiian plate luneh entry are that it be high in carbohydrates, up to

3 oz. per serving of protein, moderate in salt/sodium, low fat, high fiber and following traditional cooking methods (either steaming, baking, broiling and boiling). Entries should be tasty, have variety, and be well presented. The total meal should be affordable at a $3.50 to $5 price range. There will be several winning categories with prizes and certificates for those judged the best in eaeh category. Judges have been selected from sponsoring agencies, Native Hawaiian agencies and community, and from the food indiL<rtrv.

Individuals or food services interested in participating should eall the Office of Hawaiian Health at 586-4530 no later than Monday, May 4. Participants will need to submit their recipes for evaluation, to see if they comply with the dietary guidelines set by the Department of Health's nutrition branch, no later than the following week, on Monday, May 11.