Nutri Fest’, a food festival held on the premises of Madhuram Narayanan Centre for Exceptional Children, T Nagar, on Friday, was not just another exhibition of foods. With the theme ‘Nutritious and Cost Effective Lunch’, the fair had on display delicacies whipped up by mothers of the disabled children being trained by the centre. The food items were categorised on the basis of the age of the child. Accordingly there were three groups: from birth to two years, two to four years and four to six years. From mashed fruits and juices for babies to full course meals for older children, a range of lip-smacking goodies were on display at the fair.
“We have to make sure the food looks attractive and colourful, otherwise children might not eat it,” said one of the participants.
The food fest was organised under the Annapoorna Project, an intervention service for disabled children and their parents. “Our main aim is to create awareness among parents about the nutritional needs of children. Sometimes the nutrition of disabled children needs special attention,” said Priya Rajagopal, principal of the centre.
The food items were evaluated by well-known nutritionists Andilip Parveen and Dharini Krishnan, pediatrician Dr D Padmalochani and Taj Club House chef D Muthukumar. They provided feedback to the contestants and distributed prizes.