Not Just Cooking, Mothers Pay Attention to Nutrition in the Nasi Goreng Competition by Mbak Ita

Dream - The Semarang City Government successfully gathered neighborhood mothers to increase their awareness of a balanced menu with proper nutrition in the Nasi Goreng competition by Mbak Ita.

The competition, which took place at Simpang Lima Semarang Square on Saturday, August 26, 2023, received appreciation from the Chairman of the Indonesian Parliament, Puan Maharani.

"This event is very good in my opinion, I appreciate it because it gathers mothers from every neighborhood with a joyful atmosphere. Then they make Indonesian dishes with nutrition, this is a very good example and I appreciate it from the city of Semarang," said Puan, who was present at the location.

Puan hopes that activities like the Nasi Goreng competition by Mbak Ita can continue with other innovations.

"There may be activities like this to do activities together in Semarang. We are united, safe, and peaceful. I think the people are also happy," she concluded.

Meanwhile, the Mayor of Semarang, Hevearita Gunaryanti Rahayu, hopes that in the future, mothers in Semarang will not only cook, but also consider nutrition in every menu.

According to her, the Nasi Goreng competition was chosen as an easy way to introduce mothers to cooking nutritious food with a simple menu that almost everyone likes.

"Our hope is that all mothers or women will start to enjoy cooking again. In the sense that it's not just cooking, but mothers also consider its nutritional value," said the woman affectionately known as Mbak Ita.

"If we say this is what's on my plate, there are carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and so on. And we cook nasi goreng because it is universal and everyone likes nasi goreng," she added.

In addition, this competition also serves as a gathering for mothers in Semarang to get to know each other.

"The second thing is togetherness, I heard that mothers who didn't know each other before, because of nasi goreng, they got to know each other. Even now, even though they lost, they still have WhatsApp groups and so on," she added.

The Nasi Goreng competition by Mbak Ita is intended to enliven the 78th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia's independence. However, through this competition, Mbak Ita also wants to campaign for a healthy lifestyle, balanced nutrition, prevention of stunting, food security, and urban farming as one of her focuses in the government.

The peak of the competition was also attended by the Head of the Indonesian Public Procurement Agency (LKPP), Hendrar Prihadi, and the Chairwoman of the Semarang City Family Welfare Movement (TP PKK), Alwin Basri. In addition to cooking competitions, there were also Yel-Yel (cheer) competitions and exciting video competitions.

For the Nasi Goreng competition, the first place was won by Jangli Village, Tembalang District, followed by Sendangmulyo Village, Tembalang District as the second place, and Mugas Sari Village, South Semarang District as the third place.

Meanwhile, for the Yel-Yel competition, the first place was won by Sumurejo Village, Gunungpati District, followed by Lamper Lor Village, South Semarang District as the second place, and Pedurungan Lor Village as the third place. As for the video competition, there were 20 villages with the best video titles.