• Home
• /
• Education

Canteen food: Healthy or junk?

Students from UAE schools explain their stand on canteen food.

Imran Ameer, Al Ameer English School, Ajman

Mostly all canteen food is junk food, like burger, sandwich, choclates etc. These cannot fill our stomach because they can only be eaten as snacks. There are some students who come to school without having proper breakfast and have these type of food in recess.Also there are some shopkeepers who serve food with unlcean hands. Also, there will be a long queue which completes the 15 minutes of recess and sometimes students cannot eat anything. I think it is better to eat homemade food than canteen food.

Maahiya Jain, Delhi Private School, Dubai

“Good habits are cultivated early in life,” a wise man once said. I firmly subscribe to this opinion and in accordance, believe that there should be no place for junk food in the school canteens. It goes without doubting that junk food heralds bad health and obesity. With rising obesity trends across the globe, it is the need of the hour to impart healthy ideas in the children’s minds. If junk food is served in schools, how will they ever understand that junk food is not good for health and should be banished from the diet?

Neethi Sai Thiyagaraja, Indian High School, Dubai

I don’t think school canteen food is junk. If taken in a balanced way, even school canteen food is healthy. Moreover, dining at the canteen gives a chance to meet and chat with friends, which improves our social life. If properly chosen in right quantity, we can even have it twice a week.

Fathima Ruba, The Indian High School, Dubai

School canteens are an integral part of the school environment and an ideal place to encourage healthy eating. A child’s preference for food keeps changing during childhood. So, a canteen is designed to provide just that, to fulfil their varied requirements. Candy,not so dandy...! Hence, personally I feel that a canteen provides both nutritional and insubstantial (unhealthy) choices.

Purvi Jain, Indian High School, Dubai

I find many students going to the canteen and purchasing things like pizza, puffs, juice, or any fast food which could lead to problems. In my opinion school canteens contain junk food as well as healthy foods like parathas, fruit salad, Laban. It is the choice of the student what he/she purchases. As students like junk or fast food more than healthy and nutritious food they tend to purchase it. Better awareness, healthy tiffin from home and parental guidance can make a difference. Many times parents see themselves to be blamed, as working mothers do not have time to cook and give fast food which is mostly junk.

The #Education page will return after summer vacations. Wishing you happy holidays!