The event on November 14 marked the second stop of the “Eco-friendly and Healthy Living with Students 2026” program, co-hosted by Tuoi Tre newspaper and Acecook Vietnam.
At the nutrition information decryption zone, organizers distributed plates mapping carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamin, and mineral ratios. Students sorted through hundreds of images spanning eight distinct food categories: grains, nuts, eggs, dairy, meat and seafood, oils and fats, yellow-orange vegetables, and other fruits and vegetables.
Participants raced to construct balanced meals containing at least five of the eight food groups within a strict time limit.
“A nutritious diet not only includes 5 out of 8 food groups, but the proportion of each food group must also be appropriate,” Ha Phuong Thuy told Vietnam.vn.
Logistics and supply chain management student Nguyen Ngoc Ha noted the immediate impact of the visual learning model. “This is the first time I have learned to balance nutrients in a meal through such a visual and easy-to-understand nutrition diet model,” Ha told Vietnam.vn.
Teams competed to align their ingested food energy with active physical exertion.
Automotive engineering technology student Le Thai Duc acknowledged the direct personal relevance of the exercise challenge. “I rarely do exercise or energy-consuming activities, and I eat a bit much. That is probably why I am a bit chubby,” Duc told Vietnam.vn. “From today, I will try to reduce my meal size and start exercising.”
Beyond dietary metrics, the campus program targeted environmental health by incentivizing the collection of post-consumer waste. Students brought discarded instant ramen packaging to an exchange booth to receive reusable items designed to curb single-use plastic waste.
Agricultural and forestry student Nong Dang Quynh Nhi collected 25 instant ramen packets from her family to secure a cloth pencil case and a set of reusable chopsticks. “I will bring this set of chopsticks and spoons to school to use when eating, which can help reduce the amount of plastic spoons used,” Nhi told Vietnam.vn.
| Activity Component | Primary Metric | Target Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Nutritional Decryption | 5 of 8 food groups | Dietary macro-balance |
| Energy Balance Challenge | Caloric expenditure goals | Cardiovascular and metabolic health |
| Packaging Exchange | Ramen wrapper collection | Reduction of single-use plastics |
Acecook Vietnam PR Department representative Le Thi Minh Thu and Tuoi Tre Newspaper Deputy Editor-in-Chief Lam Hieu Dung distributed gifts to participating students on November 14.
