School canteens have begun dishing out healthier fare in the city, a trend that is likely to catch on given the growing health awareness among students and parents.
Taking the lead are some top schools, which have hired the services of two major food chains. Together, they have prepared special menus, offering hygienic and low-fat food with the right caloric intake. Variety is taken care of so that students don’t get bored and tempted to try unhealthy options.
Schools that have not signed up with popular food chains are hiring experts to calculate the nutritional value of the fare offered at their canteens.
“We get a lot of variety at our canteen, and there is no junk food. The students’ council decides the menu every week after taking suggestions from the class representatives. The canteen also has a Jain counter. Fresh fruit juices and desserts are provided too,” says Keshav Biyani, a class XI student at DY Patil International School which has given out its canteen on contract to the Rajdhani chain of restaurants. “At my previous school, we got packed food with a fixed menu. But DY Patil offers a buffet,” says Biyani.
Husein Burhani, the academic director of the school, says the management opted for Rajdhani because of the food chain’s experience. “We associate the brand with quality. Some of the parents were initially apprehensive about opting for canteen food but they, too, have agreed,” he said, adding the management is planning to sign up Rajdhani for its international school in Pune.
Rajdhani, which specialises in the Rajasthani thali, recently extended its business in the education sector. Besides DY Patil International School, Billabong High School, Thane, and Fazlani School, Mazgaon, have also tied up with the food chain.
“We offer an Indian menu for 15 days in school canteens. Occasionally, we serve Chinese, Thai, and continental food. We offer food depending on the requirement of the school management. There is a lot of demand,” says Sameer Shah, unit sales and operations manager, Rajdhani.
Leading international schools like Dhirubhai Ambani, Bandra-Kurla Complex, and Ecole Mondiale, Juhu, have given out their canteens on contract to Radhakrishna Hospitality Services.
The Ecole Mondiale canteen offers variety in its menu six days a week, including bland continental food to take care of foreign students.
Parents are happy that schools are taking care of their children’s health.
Neelam Vaidya, a chartered accountant whose child studies at the Billabong High, said, “We are relieved that a known brand has taken over the school’s canteen. My child has never complained about the food. We also get to taste it occasionally and we are happy about the quality.”
School trustee Sandeep Goenka said the previous contractor brought food from a central kitchen and sold it at the canteen. “So we set up a kitchen with modern amenities, including automatic dishwashers, on our campus. More than 40% of the students use the canteen now.”
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