Gourmet canteens
IN late 2009, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver was invited by the Huntington school district in West Virginia in the United States to spice up its meals. The townsfolk, then one of the fattest in the country, agreed to let him turn his effort into the reality TV series Food Revolution. He had done an equally famous four-part documentary in his native England four years earlier called Jamie's School Dinners. Oliver was not always welcome, however, either in the US or Britain. Both have long-running school food programmes, starting as early as the late 19th century in the latter. Most local education authorities are doing all right, thank you very much. School dinners (lunches) have become part of life in Britain, and have been responsible for raising and sustaining nutrition levels in children since they were made universally available in the late 1940s. The New York City Department of Education already employs executive chefs and does not allow its kitchens to diverge from its menus in the slightest.
The problem in Malaysia is different, but only in scale. Schools in general do not supply meals, except in special cases to the poor, though many students have their lunches in the canteens. These are otherwise mostly expected to serve snacks and drinks for recess -- and perhaps for that reason have not been taken too seriously by nutritionists, parents and teachers. That has now changed. A rising proportion of schoolchildren are obese and, as in Huntington, on their way to becoming sickly adults. But it is not just flab. Poor nutrition is directly correlated with poor academic performance. Research by the UK's School Food Trust shows that "eating a healthy lunch in a decent environment improves behaviour and focus in class". Good eating habits nurtured in school have also been proven to last a lifetime. And it does not have to cost a lot -- small doses of deficient micronutrients can lead to vast improvements.
As the education and health ministries ponder new guidelines for school canteens, perhaps they should start by taking a leaf from the UK's heavy regulatory book by differentiating between food-based and nutrient-based standards. The former break down to what must be provided (say, fruit and vegetables), what should be restricted (such as deep-fried foods) and what should be banned (sweets and confectionery). Culture also plays a large part in food intake, and may be tough to deal with in reshaping dietary choices. Finally, Oliver is right. There is something as important as bland nutritional values, and that is taste.
As the education and health ministries ponder new guidelines for school canteens, perhaps they should start by taking a leaf from the UK's heavy regulatory book by differentiating between food-based and nutrient-based standards. The former break down to what must be provided (say, fruit and vegetables), what should be restricted (such as deep-fried foods) and what should be banned (sweets and confectionery). Culture also plays a large part in food intake, and may be tough to deal with in reshaping dietary choices. Finally, Oliver is right. There is something as important as bland nutritional values, and that is taste.
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