Schools get students to eat healthy
Sprouts are the new pizza for Shikhar Shah, 11, a student of JBCN school, Borivli.
Sprouts are the new pizza for Shikhar Shah, 11, a student of JBCN school, Borivli.
Shah has drawn inspiration from his school, which follows a strict ‘No junk food’ policy. Over the past eight months, the school has held seminars, field visits and competitions to make students aware of the harmful effects of junk food. “When we went for a field visit, I learned about the calorie intake from a packet of chips and how it could be dangerous to my health. I also learned that healthy food can actually taste good,” said Shah.
“My son now follows a balanced diet and avoids junk food. The awareness sessions in his school have really helped him,” said Shah’s mother, Puja, a Kandivli resident.
The school has a dietician, monitors the food prepared in the school canteen as well as the students’ calorie intake. “We make sure that a student gets a wholesome diet and our canteen food is rich in proteins,” said Fatema Aggarkar the director of JBCN.
City schools are now getting health conscious. École Mondiale World School in Juhu asks suggestions from parents before deciding their menu. “Students’ feedback, likes and dislikes, parent association members’ feedback and suggestions, are involved in setting up the menu to ensure a healthy and balanced meal,” said Finbarr O’Regan the principal, of the school.
“Guest nutritionists are invited to the school to educate the students to make a healthy choice in their daily intake of food,” said Sapna Chaturvedi, a member of the Parent Teacher Association, École Mondiale World School.