The nutritional status of school children impacts on their health status, quality of life and learning achievement. The population of age 5 to 18 years spend more than 6 hours a day in school and the improvement of their nutritional status is an investment in achieving educational targets and development of human resources necessary for the advancement of the country.
Accordingly, guidance on proper food consumption at school and creating an environment to obtain healthy foods is essential. The school canteen has to play a major role in this task. The likes and dislikes of children as well as physiological needs have to be matched. Children are the precious assets in a school and in order to protect their health, guidance should be provided to have a canteen that provides adequate nutrition to assist in their physiological development.
With proper management of the school canteen, an environment to select healthy foods is created which prevents opportunities for the selection of unhealthy foods.
Also, proper use of the canteen premises to convey messages that promote a healthy life style will go a long way to improve the health of children.