“On World Food Day, let us each recommit to doing our part to end hunger and poverty wherever it exists.” – Barack Obama, Former US President.

16^th October of each year is observed as the World Food Day across the globe. It is observed in honour of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945. In order to address the various aspects of the need to tackle global hunger, this day is celebrated with a specific theme each year and the theme for 2018 is: “Our Actions Are Our Future. A #Zero Hunger World By 2030 is Possible”. Government and non-government entities advocate the need and importance of food security along with taking necessary steps to ensure food is available for all.

 Akshaya Patra and World Food Day

The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a mid-day meal NGO providing nutritious lunch to Government school children in India observes World Food Day not just for a day, but, every day! The NGO provides freshly cooked, wholesome, and tasty meals to more than 1.76 million children in 14,314 Government schools across 39 locations of 12 states, on each school day. By providing mid-day meals Akshaya Patra aims to counter two main issues: hunger and illiteracy. Over the years of service, the Foundation has observed that mid-day meal is a potential incentive in bringing children to school and supporting continuity of their education. Hence, World Food Day activities is an every day commitment at Akshaya Patra.

The World Food Day celebration at Akshaya Patra is being supported by noteworthy personalities from the culinary and nutrition world namely: Mr Sanjeev Kapoor, Celebrity Chef and Entrepreneur; Chef Ramasamy Selvaraj, Taj Vivanta, Bengaluru; and Ms. Divya Sathyaraj, Nutritionist. They are also the Goodwill Ambassadors of Akshaya Patra and wholeheartedly support the Foundation’s cause. Here is what they have to say –

“I am happy to associate with The Akshaya Patra Foundation as a Goodwill Ambassador. Akshaya Patra is all about giving nutritious food to children. My own journey of cooking food for my family and friends and presenting it to millions of viewers on television is in absolute sync with the Foundation’s idea – the joy of giving is much more than the joy of receiving.” – Mr Sanjeev Kapoor, Celebrity Chef and Entrepreneur.

“It has been a proud moment to be associated with Akshaya Patra. It gives me an opportunity to support children in the pursuit of their dreams through the Foundation’s ‘Giving Every Dream a Chance’ initiative. My association with Akshaya Patra as a Goodwill Ambassador is a step forward towards the larger goal; there are millions of dreams that need a chance.” – Chef Ramasamy Selvaraj, Taj Vivanta, Bengaluru.

“As a nutritionist I strongly believe that a healthy diet will have a profound effect on a child’s well-being; a child’s body needs nutrition, not just food. Akshaya Patra has done incredible work to end classroom hunger. Leaders like President Barack Obama have appreciated the Foundation’s outstanding work in feeding children. I completely resonate with the vision and goals of Akshaya Patra and, I am truly honoured and privileged to be chosen as the organisation’s Goodwill Ambassador.” – Ms. Divya Sathyaraj, Nutritionist.

School Meals and Dreams

When children are well-fed and well-educated, it gives them the confidence to aim and achieve. It instills in them the hope for a better and brighter tomorrow. And, this gets reflected in the words of these children:

• “I aspire to be a District Collector.” – Y. Lalita, Visakhapatnam.
• “My aim is to be an Astronaut.” – Atharva Ajay Kale, Nagpur.
• “I aspire to be an Army Officer.” – Lakshmi Bai, Karnataka.
• “My goal is to be a Physical Education Teacher.” P Narasimha Raju, Visakhapatnam.
• “My aim is to be a Police Officer.” – Archana, Lucknow.
• “I aspire to be a Mechanical Engineer.” – Vikas Mudi, Karnataka.

These were just a few dreams from among 1.76 million dreams that gets fuelled by the nutritious meals of Akshaya Patra!

Support Akshaya Patra, Support World Food Day

When you support Akshaya Patra, it has both immediate and gradual impact. Your one moment of generosity towards Akshaya Patra will:

• Ensure daily school meals of children;
• Support education;
• Improve health and nutrition levels of children;
• Empower children to become resourceful and responsible citizens; and
• Make India a Zero Hunger nation.

So, this World Food Day, donate for a child, take a pledge, or share the significance of food security in your network of friends. Your care for children will pave way for generations of healthy, educated, and resourceful citizens.

“If we can conquer space, we can conquer childhood hunger.” – Buzz Aldrin, American Engineer, Former Astronaut, and Command Pilot in the United States Air Force.

Young or old – each of us look good and feel good when we are healthy and fit. And, at the root of it is how are we providing nourishment to the body. No doubt, food provides nutrition to us but at the same time it is also necessary to eat the right food. Heeding to this, the National Nutrition Week is observed annually across India from 1 September to 7 September. Being a theme-based initiative, each year it focusses on one aspect of food, nutrition, and health. The theme for 2018 is ‘Go Further with Food’ with the objective to explore and wisely choose nutritious food options from the nature.

Though all kinds of food provide nutrition at various levels, millets are the most underrated of them all. However, recent studies on nutritional value of millets have compelled the decision makers and business community to promote millets as a mainstream food item. Termed as Smart Food and Super Food, millets have multiple benefits and can largely contribute to nutrition security of people. Here, we will explore the nutritional value and health benefits of few millets:

Ragi – Also known as Finger millet, Ragi is considered as a good replacement for rice and wheat. It is a storehouse of proteins and amino acids while also being rich source of calcium and other minerals. Including ragi in diet can be beneficial for controlling diabetes.

Bajra – Also known as Pearl millet, Bajra is referred to as a miracle millet. It is not only rich in protein, fibre, calcium, and magnesium, but its iron content is eight times higher than that of rice. Making bajra a part of your meal will constipation and digestion issues at bay.

Jowar – Also known as Sorghum, Jowar is a rich in calcium and also is a good source of protein, iron, and fibre. Adding jowar to your diet will reduce cholesterol levels and can potentially promote weight loss too.

Foxtail millet – This millet is rich in dietary fibre and essential minerals like iron and copper. Interestingly, it contains smart carbohydrates that hinders sudden rise in blood sugar level. It also promotes immunity and reduces levels of bad cholesterol.

Barnyard millet – The nutritional content of this millet makes it one of the must items in our diet. It is a rich source of antioxidants and essential minerals like calcium and phosphorus contributing to body building. It is high in fibre and contains six times more fibre than wheat that helps to maintain satiety thereby making it an ideal millet for weight loss.

Kodo millet – It is an easy to digest millet rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals that help fight lifestyle-related health issues. It has been found helpful in reducing joint pains and regularising menstrual cycle in women.

Little millet – Contrary to its name, this millet is a rich source of B- vitamins and essential minerals such as ion, calcium, zinc, potassium and the like. It has fibre content and also provides essential fat to the body, the kind that helps to maintain body weight.

In general, millets have several health benefits.

Akshaya Patra’s introduces millets in mid-day meal

The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a mid-day meal NGO in India with a beneficiary base of 17.6-lakh children across 38 locations of 12 states in India has been in the service of providing nutritious meals to school children since 2000. As a next step to increase nutritional value in the meals the NGO has begun a pilot in partnership with Government of Karnataka with ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics) as the knowledge partner to include millet-based dishes in the mid-day meal menu. Based on the success of the pilot, the NGO will begin serving millet-based dishes to a greater number of children.

Conclusion

Well, as we conclude our series on National Nutrition Week, we urge for your active involvement in providing nutrition-rich meals to children. You can either choose to conduct a fundraising campaign for the Foundation or you can also support by choosing to donate to end hunger. Your contribution will be optimally utilised to provide healthy and wholesome meals to children across India. And, not to forget, by nourishing children you will become a supporting pillar for a healthy, educated, and a prosperous nation!

Part 1: Nutritional and medicinal values of vegetables

Part 2: Nutritional and medicinal values of fruits