It's hard to resist the temptations of tasty food. We surrender to them helplessly and totally often. But there are certain dangers we have to be wary of when we give in to the lures of taste. This is especially so when we are living in a market-driven world, where quite a lot of eatables in the tin-food, fast-food and junk-food categories are readily available in the market. These artificial food varieties can be invariably tasty but need not to be necessarily healthy.
Themed presentations
An exhibition — “Annavicharam: towards a good food-habit” — recently organised by the Sevamandir Higher Secondary School, Ramanattukara in Kozhikode district, gave out this vital message to the younger generation in a brilliant way. “It was more of a food awareness programme meant to benefit the students,” says Promod Kumar, teacher and head of the noon-meal committee at the school.
In different stalls the students showcased, home-grown fruits, vegetable and food varieties prepared with locally available organic ingredients such as vegetables, yam, grain and fruits as part of introducing them to the new generation. “Most of the food varieties were prepared by the students themselves with the help of their parents,” said the teacher.
A wide variety of charts and posters meant to sensitise students about the dangers of food adulteration, dangers of using chemical fertilisers and food scarcity and famine were some of the additional attractions of the show.
The exhibition set up at the Radhakrishna Menon Memorial Hall of the school was arranged in different stalls under different themes. They were “Food and Religion”, “Food and Adulteration”, “Food and Famine”, “Food and Green Revolution”, “Food and Health”, and “Food and Fertilizers”.
Be aware
A food-awareness class was also organised on the occasion. Noted naturopath Sudershan Palakkad talked to the students about the importance of living organically and eating natural and organic food varieties. “Going through the stalls was a completely novel and enriching experience; I had never been to an exhibition of this sort,” said R. Haritha, a student of the school.
Demonstrations on different aspects related to food and eating-habit were also part of the event. E.S. Vishnu and M. Manjusha of the school presented a demonstration on food adulteration while T.P. Harsha and M.K. Anitha put up a presentation on the digestive system and the role of tooth in it. Calorie values of different food varieties and the vitamins contained in diverse fruit varieties were listed along with the models displayed at the show.
Food-related books and a village biodiversity album prepared by the neighbouring Cherukavu Panchayat were also put on show at the exhibition for the reference of students.
PTA president T.C. Baburajan inaugurated the event. Different stalls were opened to the visitors by the school cook Subrahmanian Tharol. School H.M. M. Geethanjali presided over the function.
