Anganwadi children will get new tasty varieties of food for all the six days henceforth.
The State government had decided to change the menu for children enrolled to anganwadi centres as the children were not consuming the uniform food which was supplied. The samples of new menu has already been sent to the anganwadi centres. The fixed menu will be decided depending on the interest shown by the kids for the food.
The government has adopted three-tier food distribution system keeping the regional system in mind, said sources in Women and Child Welfare Department to City Herald.
With an intention of supplying nutritional food to children and mothers, the State government has added a variety of dishes. Henceforth, children at anganawadi centers across the state would be served with ‘puliyogare rice,’ ‘lemon rice,’ rice and sambar, ‘bisibele baath,’ ‘kesari baath,’ ‘rava laddu,’ energy food, sprouted pulses, puffed rice/nutri corn pop and ragi malt. The official from women and child welfare department said that the changed menu would cost more, with the government estimating that each child would get more nutritious food in the future.
Former women and child welfare minister during his recent visit to Mangalore had said “When language and food habits in Karnataka change with every 50 to 60 km that one travels, it is not prudent to have a single menu for anganwadis across Karnataka.”
For rice items, each child will be given 43 gram rice, 5 gram toor dal. Each child would get 26 gram sprouted pulses, 42 gram rava laddu. Similarly, children between the age group of six months to three years are supplied food home. They are given ‘Rava laddu,’ rich energy food and ‘milk powder mixed raagi kheer and rice kheer.’
One kg of each food samples have been given to the houses of children below three years. Depending on the taste preference of the kids, the samples will be given to the children. According to anganwadi workers, rave laddu and raagi kheer have been liked by the kids.
Similarly, food supplied to pregnant women, puerperal women and ‘Kishori’ have also been changed.
They will be given ‘rice for puliyogare and its masala mix,’ rice for lemon rice and its mix’ rice and sambar, toor dal, ‘raagi powder,’ multi grain mix chapathi powder, rava laddu and materials needed for kesari baath.