Doesn’t a hearty, wholesome meal leave you revitalised and lift your spirits? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have this feeling every day? A well-balanced diet can help us achieve that, as our physical well-being is dependent on it, along with an active lifestyle. A nourishing diet that includes all the food groups is vital for good health. Akshaya Patra’s menu ensures that the meals we provide to school children as part of our Mid-Day Meal Programme, which includes dal, vegetables, herbs, spices and food grains, includes all the seven components that a meal must have to ensure a truly healthy diet. Which are these seven components:

Proteins

Proteins are rightfully called the ‘building blocks of the body’. They aid the development, maintenance and repair of body tissues, including skin, muscles and internal organs, along with hair. Dals – served regularly as part of our meals – are rich in proteins, along with beans and legumes.

Vitamins

Vitamins are organic compounds that our body needs in small quantities to regulate different bodily functions, including catalysis and metabolism. Some of them also act as antioxidants.

Leafy vegetables and fresh foods are a good source of vitamins, the deficiency of which in the body, can lead to diseases and complications.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates – sugars, fibres and starches – are an important source of glucose, which is converted to energy that fuels the body. They are also known to facilitate fat metabolism, along with affecting the functioning of the brain. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables are good sources of carbohydrates.

Minerals

Minerals like iron, potassium, zinc, calcium and others are essential for healthy bones and teeth, well-functioning nerves and muscles and strong immunity. Beans, lentils, green leafy vegetables, whole grains are good sources of minerals, along with dairy products.

Fats

Fats in nutrition refer to fatty acids. A high intake of certain types of fats can be harmful to the body, but the ‘good’ fats are essential for a strong body composition, good skin and healthy eyes. They are instrumental in the health of cell membranes. Nuts, coconut, coconut oil, ghee are good sources of dietary fats.

Fibre

Dietary fibres are essential for a good digestive system. They help us feel full, thereby keeping us from overeating and help maintain body weight. They also help regularise bowel movements and keep the bowels healthy. Wholegrain cereals, beans, pulses, lentils legumes are good sources of fibres.

Water

Water sustains life on the planet, so it is no surprise then that up to 60% of the human body is made up of water. Drinking ample water throughout the day is necessary for survival, as water is a major component of all the body parts and helps in regulating its temperature, along with maintaining other body functions.

The seven components stated above are all a part of the nutritious meals served by Akshaya Patra to school children across India. They keep classroom hunger at bay and nourish their health and dreams for the future. Help us fulfil our vision that no child in India be deprived of hunger by making a wholesome meal available to them every day.

Do you have any tips for making meals healthier and more nutritious? Share them in the comments section below!

Read more about Akshaya Patra here.

The anticipation one feels prior to the arrival of a delicious meal, is unmatched. The joy that follows the sight of a steaming hot meal is even more intense! Isn’t it wonderful that over 1.6 million school children in India get to experience this very joy every day in the form of a nutritious school lunch from Akshaya Patra? As we scale up our efforts to expand across the country, the number of beneficiaries we feed every day is about to rise dramatically too! Thanks to the groundwork laid in 2016, the year 2017 will see us taking a significant leap towards our mission of feeding 5 million children by 2020.

In 2016, we opened our innings in Maharashtra with our first kitchen in the state, in Nagpur.  We also added two more locations to our presence in Andhra Pradesh – Kakinada and Mangalagiri. Towards the end of the year, in December, we laid the Foundation for our first high-tech mega kitchen at Khandi in Telangana. The construction cost of the kitchen will be covered by the Infosys Foundation, which has donated Rs 18.03 crore towards it. This kitchen will feed over 1,00,000 children in the region from the next academic year.

We also initiated the process of setting up 11 new kitchens in Uttar Pradesh in the last month of 2016. The groundbreaking ceremony for the same was performed by Honourable Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP), Shri Akhilesh Yadav, on December 26, 2016 at Lok Bhavan, New Secretariat, Lucknow. Children in the districts of Varanasi, Ghaziabad, Agra, Allahabad, Kanpur, Etawah, Kannauj, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Rampur and Ballia will benefit from our Mid-Day Meal Programme after the establishment of these kitchens. It will expand our reach to 13 lakh beneficiary children in UP from the current 2,11,680.

We are striving hard to expand our reach across the country, where 179.6 million people live below poverty line. We urgently need your support to ensure that children do not suffer dire consequences due to hunger and lack of education. Walk with us on the road to eliminating classroom hunger now. Join the cause by lending your support!