Visakhapatnam: Parents are now perplexed about what to pack in the lunch box for their children following the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) direction to all schools affiliated to it to inspect lunch boxes to ensure students don’t eat junk.
The Board has also asked schools to ensure that food items like chips, carbonated drinks, ready-to-eat noodles, pizzas, burgers and confectionery items like chocolates, candies are not available in the school canteens. Schools are being encouraged to have healthy snacks on the canteen menu.
A working mother Jayati Majumder said, “It’s really hard to prepare food in time in the morning for working mothers,” while admitting, “I hadn’t realized the importance of nutritious food… for good health of our children, we have to put in a little more effort to prepare healthy food instead of giving our children ready-to-make noodles and other junk food.”
M. Venumohan, founder of a senior secondary school, said co-operation from parents is needed to ensure children eat healthy food. “Parents should first stop proving junk foods to their children and sensitise them about the bad impact of these foods,” he added.
Nutritionists have welcomed the Board’s decision. Mamta Narang, a nutritionist, said, “The health and fitness of the children were really at high risk due to the consumption of junk food. Parents give lunch box filled with junk food, conceding to the demands of their children or because of lack of time".
"The direction of CBSE will surely help students to inculcate good food habit… Children will gradually adapt to home-made healthy foods if they don’t get junk food from home or in school canteens. Idli, dosa and all our traditional dishes are very good for health. This initiative will really yield wealth in terms of health", Nutritionists added.
The CBSE directive to schools followed a Women and Child Development (WCD) ministry report suggesting how to control the “endemic” problem of consumption of junk food available in and around schools.
The Board has also asked schools to focus on encouraging physical activities for students up to Class 10 and have nutritionists, physical activity trainers, public health specialists, food safety experts talk to students about a healthy lifestyle. It is also encouraging schools to keep a record of height, weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) of all students.
Nutritionist Mamta Narang suggests Curd rice with vegetables, lemon rice, dosa, sandwich with stuffing and chapatti with curry could be prepared and packed easily for the kids and is good for their health.
