The first regional round of NutriChamps was held on 27 July 2019 in Jashore, Bangladesh. Twenty students from ten local educational institutes from Khulna division gathered in Jashore to participate in the contest. The contestants cooked variety of traditional local dishes using rice, chicken, fish, and milk, along with other nutritious ingredients.
The event was moderated by renowned culinary expert Nahid Osman and celebrity youth icon Ayman Sadiq. Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP)/Nutrition Team Lead for LPIN was one of the esteemed judges at the event. Students of Jashore Govt. Women’s College won the first prize. The winners from all of the regions will participate in a grand, nationwide finale in Dhaka later this year.
NutriChamps is an initiative of multiple projects and interventions under USAID, including the Feed the Future Livestock Production for Improved Nutrition and Feed the Future Rice and Diversified Crops Activity, both of which are implemented by ACDI/VOCA. The cooking contest is designed to motivate youth to cook and eat healthy and nutritious meals.
“This is the first time I am participating in a cooking competition. I am really excited to be here today. We have tried to keep in mind the nutritional values while cooking the meal. I hope we get through to the next round!” –contestant Tamalika Bacher, Khulna Collegiate Girls’ School & KCC Women’s College
