A dimension within Child Nutrition & Local Foods
Focuses on the importance of nutrition and healthy eating for children, particularly through midday meal programs.
150 voices speak to this
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Positive
Overall Community Sentiment
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
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
If leafy greens like Kuilesh saag, Mudi saag, and Munga saag are provided in the mid-day meal at school, students will be able to get some nutritious food.
— Parsuram Sa · Hemagiri, Sundargarh, Odisha
If herbal Tendu leaves, seeds, and millets can be included in the mid-day meal.
— Devisingh Solanki · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
In the mid-day meal, children at mothers' and Anganwadi centers should be given various kinds of stir-fried greens, papaya curry, fruits, etc.
— Ulapi Sahu · Patnāgarh, Balangir, Odisha
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
For the midday meal, some 'maudia' (puffed rice snacks) and other light items should be provided. In addition to that, various greens found from the forest, such as drumstick leaves and 'kule' (another type of edible green), should also be given.
— Ulapi Sahu · Balangir, 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 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
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 beneficial if forest fruits, roots, Char, Dumer, and Kuddu fruits are given to school children as part of the midday meals provided in schools. Whatever term applies.
— Parikshit Majhi · Balangir, Odisha
Using all the fruits, flowers, leaves, greens, and root vegetables obtained from nature's forests in lunch can provide more nutritious food.
— Paradeshi Mirdha · Sambalpur, 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
It would be good if forest products like Mahua, Chaar, and Kendu were included in the preparation of our children's Mid-Day Meal.
— Priti majhi
In our school, in the mid-day meal that is provided, if we bring a beneficial extract from our forest and add those seeds, I will prepare it so that it contains many vitamin-rich things, and eating that would be very good.
— Parikshit Majhi
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
The roots, herbs, and water chestnuts found in the forest are very vitamin-rich and nutritious foods. It would be good if these were provided in PDS and as midday meals for school children.
— Sushama Digal · Dashapalla, Nayagarh, Odisha
It would be good if the government provides forest foods like honey, Chaar, and Kendu as food in the midday meal.
— Priti majhi
In schools where midday meals are provided, if fodder from the forest is brought and made into laddus, nutritious food can be obtained.
— Parikshit Majhi
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
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
Usually, in Anganwadi centers at schools, children should generally be given fruits and various kinds of leafy vegetable preparations in the morning so that they can receive nutrients.
— Ulapi Sahu · Balangir, Odisha
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
When they give food to these children, they should also provide some different items. They always give rice, dal, and egg curry or soybean curry. It would be good to mix in some leafy greens, dal, and our vegetables; it would be better to mix such beneficial items.
— Ulapi Sahu · Balangir, Odisha
It would be good if forest products like Mahula, Char, and Kendu were provided in mid-day meals through PDS.
— Priti majhi
If food made from mahua found in our forests and food from charla are included in the school's midday meal for children.
— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha
If the government provides forest food like honey and some other forest produce as part of the midday meal, it would be good.
— Priti majhi
For the school children's midday meal, various types of greens like Jungle Saag, Kuler Saag, Munga Saag, etc., were provided, and food was served.
— Ulapi Sahu · Patnāgarh, Balangir, Odisha
Nutritious forest produce, such as millet, will be provided to children as part of their midday meals through the Public Distribution System.
— Padmini Bhoi
It would be appropriate if forest products like Mahua ladoo are prepared and served as part of the Mid-Day Meal in schools.
— Priti majhi
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
It is true that bringing vegetables and leafy greens from the forest provides nutritious food for a growing body.
— Devisingh Solanki · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
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
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.

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.

By embracing our ancestral foods, language, and traditions, we can nourish our children and strengthen our community's identity 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.
The voices in this theme were gathered by these organisations through their community reports.