A dimension within School Nutrition & Health
Discusses the importance of nutrition in school meals, highlighting traditional foods for child health.
150 voices speak to this
Positive
Overall Community Sentiment
To provide more nutrition for the physical and mental development of children, ragi and mandua should be included in school midday meals.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
Mandua, a traditional food item, should be included in the Mid-Day Meal for the physical and mental development of children in schools.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
To provide maximum nutrition for the physical and mental development of children, finger millet will be included in school mid-day meals or traditional foods, followed by our various...
— Rajesh Mallik · Boudh, Odisha
Hemant Sha village Nilaji: Forest-based millets and Gurji traditional food should be included in PDS and mid-day meals. This will help in the mental and physical development of children.
— RUDRA PRASAD BAG · Jagānpadar, Nuapada, Odisha
To provide more nutrition for the physical and mental development of children, ragi porridge, mandru, etc. are provided in the school's midday meal.
— gobardhan pangi
Local forest produce such as Kendu, Char, Jamun berries, Sarala leaves, and Mahul contain nutrients. To provide more nutrition for the physical and mental development of children, traditional foods like millet porridge should be included in school mid-day meals. During festivals, do not include packaged food and food from markets/shops to offer to guests.
— DASHARATH SINGH · Jamunkira, Sambalpur, Odisha
Fruits obtained from the forest are also important for the physical and mental development of children and for providing nutrition; the government should include them as traditional food items in school mid-day meals.
— Anil Pargi · Maliya Dokar, Banswara, Rajasthan
Local forest products like Kendu, Char, Jamu Kali, Sarala Sag, and Mahul are rich in nutrients. To provide more nutrition for the physical and mental development of children, traditional foods like millet should be included in school mid-day meals. During festivals, are you not including packaged food and food from the market/shops to serve guests?
— DASHARATH SINGH · Sambalpur, Odisha
Locally available foods like Pita Kanda, Bara Kali, Kendu etc. have the highest nutritional value. Which traditional foods should be included in school mid-day meals to provide more nutrition for the physical and mental development of children?
— Praska Gangarao
Local forest produce like Kendu, Chaar, Jamukoli, and Mahul are rich in nutrients. Wild leafy greens and traditional foods should be included in school midday meals to provide more nutrition for the physical and mental development of children. During festivals, we do not provide packaged food and market/shop items to guests.
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, Odisha
Local forest products like Kendu, Char, Jamu, and palm berries are rich in nutrients. Millets and traditional foods should be included in school mid-day meals to provide more nutrition for the physical and mental development of children. During festivals, are you not including packaged food and food from markets/shops to serve guests?
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Jamunkira, Sambalpur, Odisha
Local forest produce such as Kendu, Chaar, Jamu Kali, and Mahul contain nutrients. To provide more nutrition for the physical and mental development of children, wild leafy greens and traditional foods should be included in school mid-day meals. During festivals, we do not include packaged food and items from markets/shops to offer to guests.
— DASHARATH SINGH · Sambalpur, Odisha
Local forest produce like Kendu, Char, Jamun berries, Mahula contain nutrients. To provide more nutrition for the physical and mental development of children, wild leafy greens and traditional foods from the forest should be included in school mid-day meals. During festivals, we do not include packaged food and items from markets/shops to offer to guests.
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, Odisha
Local forest products like Kendu, Char, Jamu Kali, and Mahul are rich in nutrients. To provide more nutrition for the physical and mental development of children, wild leafy greens and traditional foods should be included in school mid-day meals. During festivals, you do not include packaged food and items from the market/shop to offer to guests.
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, Odisha
Local forest Kendu, Char, Jamu Kali, Mahul contain nutrients. To provide more nutrition for the physical and mental development of children, wild leafy greens and traditional foods should be included in school mid-day meals. During festivals, you do not include packaged food and food from the market/shop to offer to guests.
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, Odisha
Local forest produce such as Kendu, Char, Jamun berries, and Mahul are rich in nutrients. Wild edible greens and traditional foods should be included in school mid-day meals to provide more nutrition for the physical and mental development of children. During festivals, you don't include packaged foods and market/shop items to offer to guests.
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, Odisha
Coarse food items, Batti Ravi, Kulthia's Ghugri, etc., should be added in schools and Anganwadi centers.
— Surajsingh Parmar · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
Millet is an indigenous food. If we provide millet to children as a midday meal in schools, their physical and mental wellbeing will improve.
— Padmini Bhoi
Local forest products like Kendu, Char, Jamu Kali, and Mahua contain nutrients. To provide more nutrition for the physical and mental development of children, wild leafy vegetables and traditional foods should be included in school mid-day meals. During festivals, you do not include packaged food and items from the market/shops to offer to guests.
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, Odisha
If ragi, millet, drumstick leaves, and jute leaves were included in the school midday meal, it would provide more nutritious food to children.
— Parsuram Sa · Sundargarh, Odisha
Include drumstick and spinach vegetable in the mid-day meal so that children's physical development will occur and they will get nutrition.
— Vinita Singh Yadav · Mukasim, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Nutritious food items like ragi should be introduced in mid-day meals and PDS.
— Sunil oraon · Gumla, Jharkhand
Including food items like mahua ladoo made from mahua found in our forests in the school's midday meal can provide nutritious food to children.
— Anjana Khadia · Subdega, Sundargarh, Odisha
It would be good to provide traditional food to school children in their mid-day meal.
— SUSANTA PATTNAYAK
Local forest produce such as Kendu, Chaar, Jamu fruits, and Mahul contain nutrients essential for children's physical and mental development. Therefore, wild leafy greens and traditional foods should be included in school midday meals to provide more nutrition. You are not including packaged foods and items from markets/shops to offer to guests during festivals and celebrations.
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, Odisha
Our traditional crops like Kodo, Kutki, maize, Rahar, Kurthi, chickpeas, and other pulses should also be given in schools and Anganwadi centers under the Midday Meal Scheme, and they should also be promoted by the government.
— Rupesh Maravi · Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh
The most nutritious locally edible forest food items should be included in PDF mid-day meals, and the government wants to promote their nutritional value for children.
— Laxmanlal
In addition to the lentil dish (dialunda) served to the children of our Anganwadi during midday meals, they should also be provided with our forest-based products, such as seasonal leafy greens.
— Parsuram Sa · Sundargarh, Odisha
Local forest Kendu, Char, Jamu Kali, Mahul are rich in nutrients. Wild leafy vegetables and traditional foods should be included in school mid-day meals to provide more nutrition for the physical and mental development of children. During festivals, you are not including packaged foods and items from markets/shops to offer to guests.
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, Odisha
In the mid-day meal, our Anganwadi center should prepare and provide various items using kodo, ragi, and Guruji's food, so that children get their vitamins.
— Ulapi Sahu · Patnāgarh, Balangir, Odisha
It would be good to provide food like millet (ragi) and pulses to school children twice a week during their midday meal.
— SUSANTA PATTNAYAK
Ragi, bhadi, and kodra kheer and rabri should be included in schools.
— Kachala Choudhary
It would be good to provide traditional food to the children of our region in school midday meals.
— SUSANTA PATTNAYAK · Mohana, Gajapati, Odisha
If the nutritious 'char laddoo' made from Mahua found in our forests is included in the school's mid-day meal, children will be nourished.
— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha
Balanced and nutritious food should be provided in ragi (marwa) flour to promote the mental and physical development of children.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
It would be good to provide millet-based food to school children for lunch.
— SUSANTA PATTNAYAK · Adaba, Gajapati, Odisha
It would be good to give traditional food to children in school. Midday meal.
— SUSANTA PATTNAYAK · Adaba, Gajapati, Odisha
Providing traditional food to school children in their mid-day meal will keep them healthy.
— SUSANTA PATTNAYAK · Gajapati, Odisha
Including Mahula laddus made from Mahula found in our forests in school's midday meals can provide nutritious food to children.
— Anjana Khadia · Subdega, Sundargarh, Odisha
It would be good to give school children ragi and millet-based food two days a week in their midday meals.
— SUSANTA PATTNAYAK · Mohana, Gajapati, Odisha
AI-synthesised pieces woven from many community voices on this theme. They may contain errors or interpretation — they're a reflection of the stories, not a record of fact.

By incorporating local, traditional grains like ragi and millet into school lunch programs, communities can significantly improve children's health and well-being.

Our community advocates for the integration of traditional, locally sourced foods into public programs to nourish children and preserve cultural heritage for future generations.

By embracing our ancestral foods, language, and traditions, we can nourish our children and strengthen our community's identity and well-being.

To preserve our health and culture, we advocate for the inclusion of native, nutritious grains in public food programs.