Ministry introduces healthy school canteen guidelines

By Mangala Pavithrani

Colombo, June 17 (Daily Mirror) -The Health Ministry has introduced “Healthy School Canteen Guidelines,” which provide standards for school canteens, healthy food recipes, and lists of foods that should be avoided, as part of efforts to improve child nutrition in Sri Lanka.

The guidelines set out clear requirements for school canteens to ensure that food sold to students is prepared in a clean, balanced, and nutritious manner. They also encourage canteens to offer healthier meal options while reducing the availability of foods high in sugar, salt, and fat.

Health officials say the move is aimed at promoting better eating habits among schoolchildren and reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases later in life.

The initiative is being implemented through the Ministry which has also prepared sample healthy recipes and nutritional guidance for school canteen operators.

Officials said the guidelines are expected to play a key role in shaping lifelong healthy eating habits by ensuring that children have access to nutritious food during school hours.