NEW DELHI: During this Monsoon Session, lawmakers can match any healthy discussions in Parliament with a healthy diet in the canteen. Ragi, millets, and jowar add a twist to traditional idlis and upmas, while grilled fish with vegetables is one of the culinary choices.
To support healthier lifestyles, Parliament has unveiled a revamped ‘Health Menu’ in its canteens, aiming to offer meals that are appetising and rich in nutrition.
Sources said the updated culinary offering combines traditional Indian cuisine with health-conscious options, promoting healthier lifestyle habits among MPs, officials, and visitors alike.
The brainchild of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, the revised menu and other subsidiary initiatives seek to enhance the health and well-being of visitors to the canteens.
More varieties of fibre-rich salads and protein-packed soups, which are in high demand during the session, will be available, featuring mouth-watering organic flavours.
However, traditional curries and elaborate ‘thali’ selections will, of course, continue to feature in the menu.
A senior official told this newspaper, “Almost every dish has been carefully crafted, after considering the benefits of the ingredients. The dishes are low in carbohydrates, sodium, and calories, while being rich in essential nutrients, fibre and protein. The Health Menu lists the calorie count alongside each item.”
Millets have received the most notable attention. They assumed national prominence during the UN-declared International Year of Millets in 2023. They are the mainstay of dishes like ‘Ragi Millet Idli’ with ‘Sambhar’ and ‘Chutney’, ‘Jowar Upma’, and sugar-free ‘Mix Millet Kheer’.
Other familiar and popular Indian dishes such as ‘Chana Chaat’ and ‘Moong Dal Chilla’ also feature on the menu. There are salad varieties like ‘Barley Salad ‘, ‘Jowar Salad’, and ‘Garden Fresh Salad’, along with ‘Roast Tomato’, ‘Basil Shorba’, and ‘Vegetable Clear Soup’.
Due attention has been given to meat-based dishes in the menu. It includes items such as ‘Grilled Chicken with Boiled Vegetables’ and ‘Grilled Fish’, among others.
On the beverages front, sugary drinks are replaced with options like green and herbal teas, ‘Masala Sattu’, and jaggery-flavoured ‘Mango Panna’. These selection gives a boost to India’s traditional, yet extremely healthy and belly-benefiting soft drinks.
The new menu reflects the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on healthier dietary habits, as outlined in one of his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ addresses, including the use of minimum oil.
The Lok Sabha Speaker has also been consistently promoting a healthy and nutritious diet through health camps when Parliament is in session.