there is a lot to look forward to during lunch breaks at city schools earlier parents had the usual suspects to fill up the lunchbox of their child with options ranging between sandwiches and noodles however today with so much emphasis on healthy eating many school canteens have a fair share of novelty and nutrition on offer for lunch or snack menus with lunch buffets laid out on each floor of avalon heights international school in vashi students dont have to stand in queues waiting to be served there are attendants to lend a helping hand to the little ones but most prefer to fill up their trays and eat their meals at the comfort of their desk avalon heights lunch and snack menu is devoid of any junk fare so chips and colas are out of bounds with around 150 students availing this facility every day the school along with a nutritionist ensures that the meal is healthy and balanced the snack varies from south indian fare to poha lunch comprises rice roti vegetable dal salad and a sweet dish students are free to eat what they like and second helpings are welcome said barkha punjabi the school administrator the parents are provided with a monthly meal menu and they are free to choose or send homecooked meals for their child students from junior kg to class x avail of this facility and the cost is rs 40 for a lunch and rs 25 for the snack however parents of children who are in play school and nursery have a greater role to play since each class has a maximum of 30 students each parent prepares a healthy snack for the entire class every day said punjabi nutritionist prema kodikal said both parents and schools should ensure that certain foods form part of the childs daily intake plan an excess of bakery products and readymade snacks should be avoided she added even though the patrons of the cafeteria at fr agnels technical education complex vary in age the management ensures that the meals are balanced fr seby rodrigues who oversees the cafeteria said that even the raw materials are bought by them the kitchen only cooks the meals on instruction from the management we prefer to buy the produce to ensure the raw ingredients are fresh the daily fare includes rice dal vegetable salad and rice explained fr rodrigues chicken and eggs are served as well but they are cooked in separate utensils and yes all junk food is completely banned we often ask the students for suggestions and preferences four meals are served every day breakfast lunch tea and dinner each student pays rs 3100 per month for all four meals on an average around 300 students partake a meal here said fr rodriguesgold crest high school believes in community eating no wastage and wholesome food the children are taught to be grateful for what they have and maintain good eating habits small portions are encouraged and