Bengaluru: Cafeterias and tuck shops in the city’s schools are quietly undergoing a transformation. In response to recent advisories from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), schools are reducing the availability of high-sugar, high-oil food items on campus.Cakes and pastries have disappeared from the shelves. Samosas now come with mixed vegetable fillings instead of just potato, and their availability has been reduced from daily to twice a week. Toffees are being replaced with smaller chikkis (peanut bars), while chips are making way for healthier alternatives such as makhana and roasted peanuts.The move comes after both national boards asked schools to take concrete steps to curb sugar consumption among students. Schools have also been asked to install awareness boards on campus to educate students about the permissible sugar intake and the long-term health risks of processed food.At Delhi Public School-North, the student council has taken the lead in rethinking tuck shop menus. “Instead of banning everything at once, we’re introducing changes step by step so that healthy eating becomes a mindset, not a punishment,” said Ujwal H, a class 11 student. After conducting a calorie analysis of the food sold in the school’s tuck shops, the council recommended phasing out high-sugar drinks and replacing them with low-sugar alternatives. Ice cream has been replaced with yogurt and whole fruits, while cakes and pastries are off the menu entirely.Aarush BS, another student involved in the food reform, explained that daily staples such as vegetable puffs are now limited to two days a week. “We’ve added protein-packed egg and paneer puffs as healthier swaps. Boiled egg sandwiches are also an addition, so students aren’t left with only puff-based snacks,” he said.Other schools are following similar measures. At Navkis Education Centre, Gokula, the management has decided to stop distributing sweets and chocolates during school functions. “For events such as Independence Day and Children’s Day, we would usually distribute laddus and chocolates. We’ve decided to replace them with small packets of dry fruits,” said principal Seema Gupta. The school has also put up signboards explaining the recommended sugar intake for children.St Joseph’s Boys High School, according to principal Fr Sunil Fernandes, is working with its outsourced canteen to phase out sugary and processed foods. “The contractor may have stocked up on some items, so we’ve told them not to replenish once those are sold. Children naturally gravitate towards processed food, so we need to slowly help them unlearn the habit,” he said.Some schools had already banned junk food but are now stepping up awareness drives. “We never served junk food on campus, but after the CBSE circular, we’ve started special sessions with doctors on healthy eating. These issues are being discussed in class assemblies too,” said J Bhuvaneswari, director and principal of Presidency School-Bangalore South.CBSE’s move came in the wake of rising cases of Type 2 diabetes among children — a worrying trend attributed to the easy access to sugary snacks, beverages, and processed food within school environments. The board’s advisory warned that apart from diabetes, high sugar intake increases the risks of obesity, dental issues, and metabolic disorders, affecting both long-term health and academic performance.
