New food items list at Union Health Ministry canteen promises 'good food for good life'

The Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday announced that from now onwards fried foods will not be served in Health Ministry's canteens.

"Our scriptures and scientists believe that our food is our medicine and it's important to adopt good eating habits in life," said Mandaviya.

Healthy food list:

Baked samosas with raw banana stuffing,

Millet roti

Ragi sheera

Ayurveda khichdi, among other things

"Our idea is to provide simple dishes that they can be made easily and is also healthy. For example, we recently made efforts to eliminate fried food because frying is not healthy. We thought of giving a twist to the Somosa by eliminating potatoes and incorporating row bananas instead of it. This twist gave them a little twist in the taste and is healthy too," said Ronika Seth, Culinary Operations Associate, Hindustan Unilever limited.

Read | No samosas or bread pakoras, now get healthy food in Union Health Ministry canteen 

"We will be adding more dishes to the menu if people demand. So far the response to the changes has been good as people are happy with the healthy alternatives. In fact, we are running short of dishes every day. I am glad that people are accepting it," she said.

Seth further informed that they are planning to bring similar changes in the canteens of other ministries as well.

Notably, the Union Health Minister himself is a fitness enthusiast and follows a healthy lifestyle. He performs exercise and yoga daily for 45 minutes.