A dimension within Forest Food Security
Exploring the diverse nutritional offerings found in forest products and local produce.
150 voices speak to this
Positive
Overall Community Sentiment
Forest fruits like Kendu, Char, and Mahul, found in the forest, contain abundant nutritious food. It would be good to include them in the mid-day meals of students.
— DASHARATH SINGH · Jamunkira, Sambalpur, Odisha
Forest produce fruits found in the forest like Kendu, Char, and Mahula contain abundant nutritious food. It would be good to include them in students' mid-day meals.
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, Odisha
We can give fruits found in the forest like :- Tendu, Char, Aonla in our lunch.
— Upendra Kumar Mahananda
Forest fruits like Kendu, Char, and Mahul, found in the forest, are rich in nutrition. It would be beneficial to include them in students' midday meals.
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, Odisha
Forest-produced fruits like Kendu, Char, and Mahula, found in the forest, contain a large amount of nutritious food. It would be excellent to include these in students' midday meals.
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, Odisha
To include forest-based foods like Mahua ladoo, Char ladoo, Phuljhi, etc., in PDS and midday meals.
— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha
Fruits found in the forest such as Jamun, Custard Apple, Mahua, Chawar, etc., should be added to the Midday Meal.
— Gopal
If forest foods like Char, Mahua, Kendu, Mango, and Jam are added to PDS and mid-day meals, consumers will get nutritious food.
— RINA BEHERA · Sundargarh, Odisha
From the forest, we collect ruguda mushrooms, mudhi saag, kuiler saag, girel flowers, bhindua kadi, and so on. If all these are nutritious foods for us, they should be included in the midday meal.
— RINA BEHERA · Hemagiri, Sundargarh, Odisha
The forest contains nutritious foods like Pitalu, Baya, Tunga, Water Yam, Elephant Foot Yam, Bitter Ginari greens, Putukuli, Honey, Amla, Bahada, and Kendu. The government should consider adding some of these to the PDS (Public Distribution System).
— Prasanna Pradhan · Mayurbhanj, Odisha
Mahua flowers and other foods obtained from the forest are very nutritious. Therefore, it is appropriate to include these foods in PDS or mid-day meals.
— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha
Nutritious diet from the forest: seasonal fruits, jamun, mahua, mango, charoli, jaggery, peanuts, and Shegaon vegetables.
— Surajsingh Parmar · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
We get our nutritious diet from the forest, such as Mahua fruit Doli oil in the form of fat, Kodo, Bhaddi, Kulthia, Mahua flowers, Jamun, Mahua kheer, Bhaji, etc.
— Surajsingh Parmar · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
Include forest-based food items such as Mahua laddoo, Chaar laddoo, Fuljhi, etc., in the Public Distribution System (PDS) and mid-day meals.
— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha
Nutritious food found in the forest: Mudhi saga, Chhati saga, Bhadbhadia saga, Koila saga, Munga saga, Ghumi saga, Tartha saga.
— Parsuram Sa · Sundargarh, Odisha
In our forest, mushrooms, ruguda, karadi, and giril flowers are found. These should be served in mid-day meals at PDS schools.
— RINA BEHERA · Sundargarh, Odisha
In the forest, many fruits like Kendu, Chahar, Dumir, Kudu, and Khajur are available. It is absolutely necessary to use these for the midday meal.
— Parikshit Majhi
It would be good if all the nutritious foods found in the forest such as Lepherasā, Kachar sāg, Gukurijīv sāg, Kaḍī, Heḍuā, Chhati, Ruguḍā are added to the Mid-Day Meal PDS.
— RINA BEHERA · Hemagiri, Sundargarh, Odisha
In the forest, there are many types of food, such as various nutritious tubers (kandha), which can be given during midday meals in schools and also protect against various diseases.
— Deepanjali Nayak
Forest products such as Jharakunduru, Pitalu Konda, and various other types of edible forest produce are available. These also serve as food for animals and birds, and consuming them provides nourishment.
— Anirudha Marai
Seasonal fruits like guava, black plum, mango, jujube, tamarind, Mahua flower, Kodo millet, Little millet, Kulthi ghugri etc. should be added in forest food products, PDS and MDM.
— Surajsingh Parmar · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
The aquatic plants, tubers, mushrooms, and all other forest products found in the forest are nutritious food. Therefore, if we can add this food to PDS and school mid-day meals, it would be very good.
— Sushama Digal · Dashapalla, Nayagarh, Odisha
In our forest, fruits, roots, leaves, flowers, and leafy vegetables grow naturally. There are no chemicals in them, and they are completely nutritious. It would be good to serve them for lunch.
— Paradeshi Mirdha · Sambalpur, Odisha
Tungemasha, potatoes, and Panikonda are all found in the forest. If Panikonda is included in PDS and mid-day meals, then children will remain healthy by getting nutritious food.
— Basanti · Dashapalla, Nayagarh, Odisha
Forest-found fruits Hara, Mukaiya, Tendu, Char to be added in PDS.
— Vijay Kumar bhardwaj · Kasdol, Baloda Bazar, Chhattisgarh
It would be good if the government provides forest foods like honey, Chaar, and Kendu as food in the midday meal.
— Priti majhi
The government should add seasonal fruits like Jamun, mango, ber, katola vegetable, Vegri Doda vegetable, indigenous mushrooms, bael fruit, mahua kheer, Kalthiya ki ghugri, kodo, batti, bhadi (little millet), etc., to forest food items in PDS and MDM.
— Surajsingh Parmar · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
Let the Mahua, Char, and Kendu (products) from the forest be processed for food.
— Priti majhi
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
Amla, Chironji, Tendu, Mukaiya - these are wild food items that should be included in the midday meal.
— Vijay Kumar bhardwaj · Baloda Bazar, Chhattisgarh
If forest-based foods like Mahua, Chironji, and Kendu were prepared and given to our school children in their Mid-Day Meal, it would be beneficial.
— Priti majhi
Various types of forest roots, millets, Wild leaf and Mahua products to be provided with PDS to students.
— Saroj Kumar Suna
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 if the government provides forest foods like Mahua, Chhar, and Kendu as food in the MDM (Mid-Day Meal scheme).
— Priti majhi
Nutritious local tubers like Pitikanda, Charendakanda, and Naangalakanda, found in the forest, can be included in dishes.
— Padmalochan Majhi · Ratachua, Rayagada, Odisha
If the government distributes forest foods like Mahua, Kendu, and other such forest produce to children as PDS food.
— Priti majhi
Including ladoos made from Mahua, a food found in our forests, in the school's mid-day meal will be nutritious for children.
— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha
From the forest, we get leafy vegetables, tubers, mushrooms, and fruits. All these kinds of things are available.
— Laba Kumar sabar · Bada Baridi, Rayagada, Odisha
The edible items found in the forest are Kendu, Chaar, and Mahua, which
— Vijay Kumar bhardwaj · Kasdol, Baloda Bazar, Chhattisgarh
The most nutritious forest foods are Kolyar Bhaji, Mokha Ki Bhaji, Segwa, etc.
— Kachala Choudhary
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 cherishing and utilizing the traditional foods and herbs found in our forests and lands, we can sustain ourselves and combat malnutrition while preserving our natural heritage.

We ensure our children's well-being and cultural continuity by teaching them about the forest's bounty and the richness of our ancestral language and traditions.

By integrating diverse farming practices with deep knowledge of local forest foods, we ensure our community's sustenance and future well-being.

In remote mountain forests, a community navigates daily life, preserving ancient crops and adapting cultural traditions amidst evolving times.