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?
By Siham Al Najami, Staff Reporter