Midday meals to have millet flavour in UP schools

Lucknow: Students of government schools in Uttar Pradesh will now enjoy a millet dish in their midday meals.

Students will be served ‘bajre ki khichdi’ in the mid-day meals (MDM) on Fridays. The dish will be accompanied with seasonal vegetables and moong dal.

The move is being planned to ensure better nutrition to school kids.

A government order issued by special secretary, basic education, Avadesh Tiwari to all district magistrates regarding changes in MDM menu, stated that pulses and vegetables will now be provided to children every day.

The year 2023 has been designated as the ‘International Year of Millets’ after a proposal for the same was brought forward by the government of India and endorsed by members of FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) governing bodies, as well as by the 75th session of the UN General Assembly.

UP’s Mid Day Meal Authority, responsible for providing mid-day meals in government and aided schools from class 1 to 8, has proposed to the Union government that over 1.9 crore students in 1.43 lakh schools across the state be served a millet-based meal.

For this, MDM needs to procure an estimated 62,000 metric tonnes of millet. “We have already asked the Centre to provide millets. Till the procurement is done, students will be served wheat and rice-based dishes like earlier,” said an official.

The MDM menu shared by Tiwari to all district magistrates mentions chapati, along with seasonal vegetables, including soybean and one seasonal fruit on Monday, rice along with vegetable and dal on Tuesday and Saturday, rice accompanied by soybean and seasonal vegetables on Wednesday and Friday, chapatis, dal and vegetables on Thursday.

On Friday, bajre ki khichdi including vegetables, and moong dal will be served.

Compared to staple grains like rice or wheat, millet has better nutritional value. “They are nutrient-dense and making them a part of regular meals can improve malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency among the masses, especially in children,” said an MDM official.