• Soya bean cutlets instead ofburgers

• Oat omelettes instead of instant noodles

• Idli with carrots and beans instead of packaged chips

Several schools in Calcutta are reminding parents of the need to send their children with a healthy tiffin and less fast food.

Children insist on eating junk food and get away with it because parents tend to indulge them, said a principal.

One school has prepared a booklet of healthy recipes which has been circulated to all parents. Another school has told teachers to address parents about healthy tiffin during parent-teacher meetings.

Students of the cookery club are also coming up with healthy snack alternatives.

A third school has introduced a system where children in primary classes are acknowledged in class for bringing healthy tiffin.

Some of the recipes that parents and students shared are sandwiches with chicken, corn and cheese, homemade chicken rolls, oat pancakes, idlis with vegetables in it, oat cutlets, crepes made of gram flour and vegetables, oat omelette, soya cutlets and sprout cutlets.

“We asked parents to share healthy recipe alternatives that can be made at home. We made a booklet of those and circulated a soft copy among all parents,” said Suman Sood, director, of BD Memorial Junior School.

Consultant nutritionist Hena Nafis said people are surrounded by unhealthy food.

“It is a public health problem with increased cases of childhood obesity and pre-diabetic conditions,” said Nafis.

“Schools have to provide practical suggestions instead of shifting the responsibilities to parents. Schools need to monitor what is being sold in the canteen. If healthy options are available parents will not be worried about their child eating unhealthy,” she said.

Nafis suggested that parents should also pre-plan their child’s tiffin. Half of it they can prepare the previous night so that they can send a healthy meal early in the morning.

In March, an association of pre-primary and primary schools asked schools to encourage parents to replace junk food in tiffin boxes with healthy options.

It was part of the nationwide campaign of #saynotojunk by the Early Childhood Association, a forum of pre-schools and the Association of Preparatory Education and Research (for primary schools).

“We had introduced some changes but we constantly need to follow it up with parents so that the practice of bringing healthy tiffin continues,” said Sood.

The challenge for most parents is to prepare home-cooked food every morning before school. Buying packaged food and putting it in the school bags is a much more convenient option, said a teacher.

At Indus Valley World School, the cookery club students from Classes VI to IX prepare healthy snacks in school in the home science laboratories.

“For children to eat a healthy snack it has to look appetising too. We cannot expect children to eat a tiffin which looks bland,” said Amita Prasad, director, Indus Valley World School.

“When the cookery club students prepare a snack in school they understand that healthy food can be delicious too,” said Prasad.

For students in primary classes, however, the need is to impress upon parents the need for healthy food habits.

“The teachers in the pre-primary classes have spoken to parents about sending healthy tiffin. The same will be communicated to parents of children in primary classes scheduled later this month,” said Prasad.

At South City International School, the teachers in class give a badge to children who bring healthy tiffin throughout the week.

“An acknowledgement in class in the presence of peers is a huge incentive for children,” said Satabdi Bhattacharjee, principal, South City International School.