Bengaluru Schools Push Healthy Food Norms but Struggle to Curb Off-Campus Junk Food

Schools across Bengaluru have introduced structured nutrition policies, awareness boards, and dietary restrictions on campus, though educators say they remain unable to monitor student food habits once children step outside school gates.

Several CBSE and international schools across the city have put up "sugar boards" and "oil boards" in line with CBSE guidelines to show students the exact nutritional content of processed foods and drinks. School leaders noted that while on-campus diets are strictly monitored, students often buy junk food from nearby bakeries and stalls after school hours, despite a recent Karnataka government order banning junk food within a 50-metre radius of school campuses.

At Sandeepani Academy for Excellence, a campus food policy has been enforced for 12 years. The institution restricts maida, refined sugar, deep-fried items, and factory-processed products like biscuits, mayonnaise, and sauces. Director Latha M. said the school asks parents to pack nuts and fresh fruits instead of items like pooris, and prohibits cakes and chocolates during birthday celebrations. However, she noted that some students receive money from parents to purchase cakes and snacks from outside stalls daily.

Other schools have introduced visual and practical initiatives. Ryan International Academy has instituted a mandatory morning fruit break, where children bring fresh fruit from home, alongside a corridor-based sugar board displaying sugar levels in packaged beverages and snacks. Principal Prathima Patil said the visual boards help students understand the contents of cold drinks and processed foods, and urged parents to mirror healthy eating practices at home.

At Inventure Academy, an in-house kitchen prepares weekly menus with chefs and nutritionists to balance proteins, carbohydrates, and vitamins while minimising sugar and maida across breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Ekta Bhasin from the school noted that Grade 11 students have also built a mobile application that allows users to scan processed food packets to check levels of fats, sugar, and carbohydrates before deciding whether to consume them.