The Hindu : New Delhi News : New menu for Delhi school children

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 02, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

New menu for Delhi school children

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

The alternative to oily canteen food is to be extended to schools across the Capital

NEW DELHI: The ban on sale of junk food may not have really managed to keep unhealthy food and aerated drinks at bay, but brewing for a super-fit tonic are 10 Delhi schools whose canteens are ready to "pat, bake and serve" only the very best and healthiest to its students.

Creating an "organic, lip-smacking" alternative to the oily canteen food, the Good Food Programme launched in the Capital this past week found social activist Vandana Shiva, school principals and doctors from the All-India Institute of Medical Research "cooking" the blueprint guide for stacking healthy snacks in the Delhi school canteens.

This major initiative to keep at bay "unhealthy junk food" is to be extended soon to schools across Delhi and later to entire North India. It will also offer an alternative for street kids and even give inputs to schools in neighbouring Pakistan to go the healthy way.

The Good Food Programme also hopes to help re-organise the school canteen menu, conduct health check-ups for students and organise related competition.

It will also create one-of-its-kind "edible school yards" across the Capital which will include the creation of biodiversity gardens through which students get education on ecology, biodiversity, health and nutrition. But the most interesting bit of the programme would be the "little chefs" section, which will see students taking easy and traditional cooking classes.

Giving a break to school children from the routine lectures and seminars on eating right, educational institutions - including Shriram School, Sanskriti School, Salwan Public School, Mother's International, Blue Bells and three Air Force schools -- that have signed in will be constantly updated on how and what to eat and how much to exercise.

"Our study has shown that in Delhi 50 to 80 per cent of obese children become obese adults and complications of adult obesity are much worse if the obesity begins in childhood. India ranks among the top 10 most obese countries in the world and has the largest number of diabetic patients in a single country,'' said Anoop Mishra, head of the Diabetic Foundation (India), equal partners in the programme.

"The group now plans to create special programme on good food for homeless, street children, HIV/AIDS communities and other vulnerable groups,'' said the Founder Director of Navdanya, Dr. Shiva.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi