New initiative may see UAE schools go healthier

Dubai: Schools in the country will go healthy as food and nutrition standards in schools will soon be linked to academic accreditation as outlined by a new set of regulations to be released by the Ministry of Education.

The new food standards are applied to four pilot public schools in Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, and Ajman and during the second term a wider groups of schools will be included. It is expected to have these regulations enforced in all schools and linked to academic accreditation for both the private and public sector, Gulf News has learnt.

A committee will be formed specifically to monitor the sort of food and drinks served in public schools and directly linked to academic accreditation to all schools. Chips, fizzy drinks and drinks with high sugar levels, and chocolates will strictly be prohibited at schools canteens.

According to Dr. Osama Alalla, researcher and nutritionist at the Ministry of Education (MOE), a study was conducted last year to assist the current status of food and drinks served school canteens and surveyed pupils on their preferred food.

"Currently I am monitoring the progress of these four pilot schools at least once to twice every month. It is very crucial to introduce these changes and schools should be more aware on what they serve to children since pupils think that the food served in the canteen is good for their health when in fact it is very low in nutrients," said Dr. Alalla.

"We realised that many public schools serve food and drinks with very low nutritional value such as chips, drinks with high sugar saturation, and chocolate and they lack food with high nutritional value such as milk, dates, vegetables and fruits," he said while adding parents and schools need awareness on the importance of nutrition in the growth and development of their children.

Breakfast is statistically proven to be a key booster for school children and directly linked to their academic performance, said Dr. Alalla adding that over 70 per cent of UAE's school children skip this crucial meal of the day.

Dr. Alalla recommends at least having a cup of milk and dates or honey and banana before going to school.

"A change in our mindset about nutrition is needed. A simple thing to change is when a mother rewards her children by promising to give them chocolate. Parents should encourage children to eat nutritious food and engage them in family activities," he said.

The rapid developments in the UAE is giving a new face to its health and social deficiencies, said Dr. Alalla while adding that children are spending less time with their parents thus are missing out on nutritious meals. This is creating health concerns such as UAE having one of the highest levels of obesity and diabetes in the world.

Are you concerned about your child's eating habits? Do you find the time to pack home-cooked food for him/her? How can food offered at school canteens be made more healthy? Fill in the form bellow to send your comments.

It is a great initiative by the authorities. I would also suggest that children with a cold, flu or anything infectious should be given a day or two off for them to rest and in order to protect the health of other children.
Dipesh Rupani
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 04, 2008, 18:11

I think it is not only an issue of the food that is eaten. The break times should also be allotted. Most of the private schools offer a break of 20 minutes, which is not long enough for the children to eat a proper meal in.
Gautam
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 04, 2008, 16:42

This was good to hear. We usually send nutritional food for our children to eat instead of the unhealthy food sold in canteens. Hope this would be implemented in all schools soon.
Ahmed Azad
Ajman,UAE
Posted: November 04, 2008, 16:33

I think that is a great initiative, and like they say, better late than never.Our 4-year-old son was doing great when it comes to avoiding junk food until he started getting badly influenced from school. Everybody needs to be more pro-active when it comes to healthy eating habits for the sake of our little loved ones.
Marc Jons
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 04, 2008, 13:18

I think toasted or grilled sandwiches filled with lettuce, cucumber and other vegetables should be sold in canteens while deep fried foods should be stopped.Chicken and Mayonnaise sandwiches are also healthy.Date milk and orange juice should be promoted.
Harcahren Vaz
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 04, 2008, 11:52

I think it is an impossible task. Children leave the house at 5am to reach school on time, meaning that they would not be able to have a proper breakfast and would have a snack instead. It is the same situation in the afternoon when the child comes back home way after the proper lunchtime, meaning that he or she would resort to snacks again.
Lali
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: November 04, 2008, 10:57

All schools in UAE should provide healthy and nutritious food for their students. If this is not provided, children will have no choice but to eat the unhealthy food that is in front of them.
Tarwala Saifee
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 04, 2008, 09:34

I would suggest that the schools make it compulsory to only serve healthy food in the canteens. Furthermore, students should not be allowed to carry unhealthy food with them to school, so as not to provoke other students.
Suma Kumar
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: November 04, 2008, 08:58

Nowadays, children are used to having chips and soft drinks. They do not want to eat healthy food because junk food appeals to them more. The initiative is great, especially for the younger children, because the subjects they teach in schools are becoming harder. They need to be on a healthy diet to be able to build their base and face future challenges. This is also great because schools play an important role in a child's well being.
Bushra
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: November 04, 2008, 08:45

Having a six-year-old daughter who asks for Dh3 everyday to buy pizza from the school canteen just because her friends buy, I am grateful to the authorities for the initiative. It would be difficult for parents to refuse this idea, as children in schools usually do not have many food options. It is the responsibility of the schools to emphasise on healthy eating as the children spend more time in school than at home.
Neelam
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 04, 2008, 08:11

This is a great initiative, however, I think there should be a system that clarifies what is considered healthy and even gives recommendations to what children should eat. Some schools might stop selling chips and juices but replace them with other unhealthy foods. If we identify what healthy food is then the initiative would be more effective in the long run.
Umm Fahad
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: November 04, 2008, 05:53