Healthy canteen food

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SESAME seed balls and beetroot juice are among the healthy food choices which could be introduced at school canteens to replace junk food and carbonated drinks.

Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) education officer N.V. Subbarow said such traditional food and beverages are rich in nutrients and would help to counter the problem of obesity among primary schoolchildren.

“Obesity would lead to diseases that will affect our future generations who are the hope of our country,” he said at a healthy food campaign at SJK(T) Prai.

Subbarow said sesame seed balls are a rich source of calcium, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, vitamin E and fibre.

“A handful of sesame seeds contains more calcium than a glass of milk,” he said, adding that sesame seeds are good for women, especially in their menopausal stage.

Rich in nutrients: Subbarow (right) with CAP education officer Suseela (standing left) showing SJK(T) Prai pupils how to prepare the sesame seed balls.

He said beetroot is a natural detoxifier and blood purifier, a good antioxidant and rich in iron, which improves blood circulation and prevents anaemia.

Subbarow added that beetroot has a high content of vitamin C and B, and is rich in fibre and folic acid, which lowers blood pressure and improves blood circulation.

At the event yesterday, teachers and pupils learned about the preparation of sesame balls and beetroot juice during a demonstration by CAP education officer N. Suseela.

She made the sesame balls by grinding jaggery or gula Melaka together with sesame seeds.

A demonstration on how to make beetroot drink.

Subbarow said CAP was planning to hold a similar event for school canteen operators soon to teach them to prepare healthy food, as they had a list of healthy food preparations for schoolchildren.

Headmistress T. Lakshmi thanked CAP for their continuous support to the school.

She said the healthy food campaign is beneficial as it is cheap and easy to prepare.

She added that the CAP’s natural farm in the school is already bearing fruit as they have harvested vegetables from the organic farm it helped create in August.