Canteens in the schools should not be treated as commercial outlets. They carry a social responsibility towards inculcating healthy eating behaviours. They can be used as places to motivate children to consume healthy and hygienic food. When a child sees other children consume foods with healthy components then his healthy food choices get reinforced and also transmitted to his family back home.

Quality control measures to be observed in the school canteens regarding:

• Stringent hygiene regulations to be strictly implemented in the canteen cooking, and serving area. Quality of fats/oils used for cooking to be monitored. Foods containing trans-fatty acids to be banned, or moderated. Strict control to prevent carryover of the left over food to next day is required.(healthy foods have a shorter shelf life-especially when the environmental temperature is high)
• Use of whole grains and pulses should be encouraged wherever possible
• Seasonal cheap and uncut fruits and locally available nuts/fruit seeds can be sold.
• Ban on use of preservatives, colours and additives in the food-preparations.
• Sale/serving of junk food like burgers, chowmein, chips, samosas, carbonated cold drinks to be banned in schools and colleges .
• Introduce freshly made vegetable pulao, idli dosa, rajmah-rice, dal-rice, flavoured milk, fresh lime juice, juices etc. in the canteen menu.
• Attractive pictorial stickers which communicate nutritional messages, can be used which can be put in sections which sells nutritious foods with healthy components. Short promos attractively made and attractive posters in the canteen can help reinforce the nutrition related messages.