Alappuzha: The Women and Child Development Department of Kerala has issued new guidelines to ensure healthier meals for children at Anganwadis, directing that excess salt, sugar, and oil be strictly avoided. The move follows a revised menu plan aimed at improving the nutritional quality of meals served at these centres.

Cooks will undergo specialised training to standardise meal preparation across all Anganwadis. This comes in line with directives from the Central Government to provide wholesome, balanced meals to children.

As per the new guidelines, the use of salt and oil should be kept to a minimum. Sugar is to be avoided wherever possible, and jaggery, in quantities limited to just 5–10 per cent, is to be used if sweetness is required.

Menu upgrade includes egg dishes and healthy snacks

Eggs will now be incorporated into meals in varied forms. While milk and boiled eggs will continue to be served three times a week, alternative dishes such as egg biryani, egg pulao, and omelettes will also be introduced. Additionally, nutritious snacks such as nutri ladoos and fruit cups have been added to the revised menu.

The first state-level training for implementing the new menu will take place in Kovalam from the 5th to the 7th of August. Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) and supervisors will attend the session, after which they will train Anganwadi workers in their respective districts. The menu changes will be officially rolled out only after this training phase is complete.

Fortified rice for biryani

The rice used for dishes like biryani will not be conventional biryani rice but fortified rice approved by the Central Government. This rice is supplied at a subsidised rate of ₹3 per kilogram. Wheat is also being distributed to Anganwadis at the same rate.