Global health threats are slowly engulfing everyone everywhere. Bit by bit the world is getting alarmed by teething health problems that are increasing mortality rates especially in children all over the world. In India the situation is alarming as its children continue to be in a state of silent emergency in terms of health indicators.

It is reported that nearly 3,000 children die daily owing to malnutrition and one child dies every minute of severe acute malnutrition in India. Additionally India also continues to harbour one of the highest estimates of malnourished children in the world with a (Global Hunger Index) GHI score of (29.0).

Hence Akshaya Patra like many other NGOs of the world is trying its level best to address twin issues of hunger and malnutrition by providing wholesome mid-day meals every school day. Our mid-day meals are designed in such a fashion that children automatically get their daily intake of fresh vegetables, dairy products, cereals, beans, legumes and oils imperative for increasing nutritional levels.

However the manner of consumption also plays an effective role when it comes to providing the daily intake of nutrients and vitamins as children often do not consume the entire amount of food served to them at schools. This results in partial nutritional intake that further sustains malnutrition in children.

Hence containing sensitivity to make food more desirable and nutritious at the same time, Akshaya Patra has designed a tailored menu for the various palates it serves.

A typical North Indian menu includes:

A typical South Indian menu includes:

As one can see both the menus are robust combinations of fresh vegetables, cereals, carbohydrates, proteins, dairy products and essential fats, strictly designed under the guidance of nutritionists and food experts to address concerns of nutritional intake, food safety and food consumption in children. Akshaya Patra also makes a conscious effort to modify the menus on a timely manner so that children get more variety and a change of taste in terms of the food served. Children are also served fruits and sweets on special occasions that act as an incentive to their daily meals.

Akshaya Patra undertakes this challenging task of feeding its 1.5 million beneficiaries every school day because it believes that a balanced diet is the only natural shed children can use to strengthen their immunity system and keep their bodies free of any diseases.

In conclusion, ending malnutrition in India will not only reduce child mortality rates branching from several diseases and infections, it will also increase the overall effectiveness of the school lunch programme. Hence on this World Health Day, 2016 Akshaya Patra urges people to raise ample awareness about the pressing issue of malnutrition and its associated health risks in India. We are also of the opinion that community mobilisation and engagement of local youths and social workers can further pursue the cause so that together we can build a nation free of malnutrition for our children.

At Akshaya Patra, we are passionate about the food that we serve our children but when it comes to the nutritional content of the food, we are meticulous! We are aware that children have their unique nutrient needs and meeting those needs is vital for a child to grow strong and healthy!

Children sit in classes earning to hear the bell ring and then- woo-hoo! It’s break time! These lunch-breaks serve as long-awaited tonic from dreary lessons of Math and Science welcoming excitement in school corridors and playgrounds! Requests for games are rampant and there are little fingers dabbling in lunch ingredients all over the place. Not only does this decrease the time children get to eat their lunch but also results in hurried and selective eating that is detrimental to children’s health and learning!

Hence in such a situation when time is stipulated and one needs to ensure children eat the right combination of nutrients, vitamins, fat, protein, carbohydrates and fibre it indeed becomes a daunting task, especially when it is an everyday ritual.

We who strictly believe in clean and healthy eating have therefore come up with a no-fuss lunch menu that not only suits the various palates that we serve but is also the right blend of

• vegetables
•  proteins
• dairy
• grains
• oils
• nutrients

The mid-day meals are only prepared with the best quality raw produce that is meticulously scrutinised in terms of supplier selection, qualification and rating before starting the cooking process. Every vegetable is washed with potable water and then placed in cold storage for a few hours to retain their freshness while other preparations are made for the day’s cooking. We just don’t stop at this; we ensure that the produce is only accepted after a complete quality inspection to make sure that it meets with Akshaya Patra’s Raw Material Specifications, adopted from the Food Safety Standards Act 2006 (FSSA).

We do all of this just to ensure that children get all the support they need to eat joyful meals, attend school regularly and pursue their dreams.

Akshaya Patra being one of the world’s largest NGO run school lunch programmes takes the opportunity of serving children with meals that are a perfect blend of nutrition and taste. Don’t believe us…? Hear it from them!

Bharathi Mahapatra, Headmistress, Odisha – “I am grateful that the Mid-Day Meal Programme by Akshaya Patra came as an incentive to education which actually offers two of the fundamental rights of food and education to the children. Absenteeism is less and children are very interested to come to school. The children get to live their childhood as they are supposed to.”

Syed Basheer, Teacher, Hyderabad -“Food is an important factor for many students in this school. A child needs food to study and we ensure that every child in the school is fed well. Akshaya Patra is doing great work by feeding these children in our school. For some it’s a blessing because they don’t eat food at home every day. Not only has the students’ health improved, but their academics record also reinstate that a good and nutritious meal plays a crucial role in brain development.”

Nousheen, Student, Telangana – “My elder sister Afreen has a hand deformity. Sometimes, students would make fun of Afreen when she would eat the mid-day meal at school. Because of this she refused to eat with her friends fearing that they would ridicule her for her disability. Over time, I continuously encouraged her to eat the Akshaya Patra mid-day meal because of the healthy nutrients in their food. This will also help Afreen improve her disability.”

These are just a few validations of the everyday work that we do in reaching mouthfuls of freshly prepared mid-day meals to our beneficiaries. We believe in nutrition for children and will only encourage them to take just the right bite!