National Nutrition Week in India - The Indian Cuisine

National Nutrition Week in India

Vision
To achieve optimal nutrition of vulnerable segments of the population such as women of reproductive age, children, adolescent girls, and the elderly.

Mission
To enable food and nutrition security conducive to good health, growth & development and increase productivity through dedicated research, so as to achieve the national nutrition goals set by the government of India in the national nutrition policy.

National Nutrition Week (India)
Dietary Guidelines of Indians 

Indian cuisine encompasses a wide variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to India. Given the range of diversity in soil type, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines vary substantially from each other and use locally available spices, herbs, vegetables, and fruits.  

Indian food is also heavily influenced by religious, in particular, Hindu and cultural choices and traditions. Also, Middle Eastern and Central Asian influences have occurred on North Indian cuisine from the years of Mughal rule. Indian cuisine is still evolving, as a result of the nation's cultural interactions with other societies.

Indian Chicken Curry with Rice, #EatingWell   

Historical incidents such as foreign invasions, trade relations, and colonialism have played a role in introducing certain foods to the country. For instance, potato, a staple of the diet in some regions of India, was brought to India by the Portuguese, who also introduced chilies and breadfruit. 

Indian cuisine has shaped the history of international relations; the spice trade between India and Europe was the primary catalyst for Europe's Age of Discovery. Spices were bought from India and traded around Europe and Asia. Indian cuisine has influenced other cuisines across the world, especially those from Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, the British Isles, Fiji, and the Caribbean.

Resources and References

1. National Nutrition Week (India) – Dietary Guidelines of Indians
2. Indian Cuisine, Wikipedia - Spices at a grocery shop in India   

3. Indian Chicken Curry with Rice, #EatingWell   

Preparing Safe Lunches

While children rely on teachers for daily lessons, making safe lunches falls squarely on caregivers. Unlike cafeteria workers who regularly take food safety training, most parents preparing lunch for their kids at home or taking it to school haven’t received any formal food safety instruction. Nutrition counts, too. The lunch you’re making satisfies the hunger pangs of busy kids and fuels their cognitive abilities. Studies have shown that proper nutrition improves students’ scores, memory capacities, motor skills, social skills, and language skills. Keep them well-fed and safe with the four steps to food safety – Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill.

Clean: The best way to prevent many forms of illness, including foodborne illness, is with proper hand washing. Children should always clean their hands before eating, and parents should do so before and during lunch preparation. It’s easy to get preoccupied with busy schedules and rush through the five steps of washing hands; however, handwashing is vital to remove any germs that may be present. Hand washing should always include the following:

1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
2. Rub your hands together with soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
5. Dry your hands using a clean towel.

Separate: Prevent cross-contamination by keeping raw meat and poultry away from ready-to-eat foods. When preparing perishable foods that require cutting (for example, raw bacon and raw chicken you plan to cook for salad), separate these items from fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and other foods to avoid cross-contamination.

• Cut up and prepare your raw ingredients to avoid cross-contamination when handling your ready-to-eat items for salads or other sides.
• Different colored cutting boards are a great reminder to prevent cross-contamination (you can use a green cutting board for fresh produce and another color for meat and poultry).

Cook: Have a food thermometer easily accessible to ensure you’re cooking to recommended safe internal temperatures:

• Cook whole cuts of meat, including beef and pork, to 145 degrees Fahrenheit and allow them to rest for at least 3 minutes before carving.
• Cook ground meats, like burgers and sausages, to 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cook all chicken and turkey to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chill: When preparing lunch ahead of time, remember that perishable foods should not be placed in the Danger Zone—temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit—where bacteria multiply quickly and can make food unsafe.

• Ensure all perishable items are refrigerated within two hours of coming out of the oven or refrigerator.
• Discard food left out for more than two hours to prevent foodborne illness.
• If your child needs to carry their lunch, never pack perishable foods in a brown paper bag because they will be unsafe by lunchtime. Use an insulated, soft-sided lunch bag and add a frozen gel pack and a frozen juice box or bottle of water with the lunch.

These four steps – Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill – give parents and caregivers steps they can use to protect their children from food poisoning. Now that we’ve covered all the basics, you’re ready for the big test – hungry students!

International Youth Day

The world’s young people – who make up the largest generation of youth in history – can lead a global drive to break the patterns of the past and set the world on course to a more sustainable future. Young people are directly affected by the tragic contradictions that prevail today: between abject poverty and ostentatious wealth, gnawing hunger and shameful food waste, rich natural resources, and polluting industries. Youth can deliver solutions to these issues, which lie at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.    - Ban Ki-moon

The theme of International Youth Day 2024 is “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development.” This theme highlights the key connection between digitalization and accelerating the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasizing the crucial contributions of young people in this transformative process.

Technologies like mobile devices, digital platforms, and emerging innovations like artificial intelligence are crucial in advancing the SDGs. Data generated from every digital interaction is fundamental to digital transformation, enabling evidence-based decision-making. It is estimated that digital technologies and data contribute to at least 70% of the 169 SDG targets, bringing about a profound impact across their economic, social, and environmental dimensions.

While challenges such as the digital divide persist, young people are often considered “digital natives” at the forefront of adopting and innovating with new technologies. They form the largest demographic of users and developers, shaping digital trends globally. As the 2030 deadline for the SDGs approaches, youth remain an essential demographic group in leveraging the transformative power of technologies to address global challenges.

Secretary-General Video Message: 

International Youth Day 2024