Building a Healthier Future

Last month, global leaders convened in Paris for the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit, where the United Nations General Assembly also announced the extension of the Decade of Action on Nutrition through 2030. This move aims to sustain global efforts to eliminate malnutrition and align closely with the broader 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The summit marks a pivotal moment, emphasizing not just access to food, but a deeper understanding of eating habits, food choices, and nutrition—especially among children. Nutrition is no longer seen solely as a health concern; it is deeply intertwined with education, social equity, and environmental stewardship.

Historically, global nutrition initiatives have concentrated on the critical first 1,000 days of life, from conception to a child’s second birthday, to prevent malnutrition. However, increasing evidence points to the importance of the next 4,000 days, encompassing childhood and adolescence—a period crucial for physical and emotional development. Proper nutrition during these years can help reverse early deficits and lay the groundwork for lifelong health. The shift must now move from merely providing food to equipping children with the knowledge and skills to make healthy dietary choices.

A side event at the Paris summit titled “Learn to Eat Well: Bio-diverse Diets and Youth as Agents of Change” reinforced this message, advocating for comprehensive food and nutrition education starting within schools. The call is clear: nutrition lessons should go beyond calorie counting, enabling children to make choices that benefit both their own well-being and the planet’s health.

A Changing Landscape of Food Choices

Today’s children are growing up in a complex food environment, where meals can be ordered instantly and are often heavily marketed. Navigating these choices has become increasingly difficult. Many young people lack the knowledge to make informed dietary decisions, and their eating patterns are shaped more by advertising, social pressures, and convenience than by nutritional needs.

As a result, issues such as skipping breakfast, low intake of fruits and vegetables, and high consumption of sugary and processed foods are widespread. One major victim of this trend is dietary diversity—the practice of consuming a variety of food groups to meet nutritional needs.

Recognizing its importance, the UN has adopted Minimum Dietary Diversity as a global indicator under the Sustainable Development Goal to end hunger. Yet, in many regions, including urban and rural India, most children fail to meet this basic standard.

Poor diet quality during childhood is closely linked to malnutrition, rising rates of childhood obesity, chronic illnesses like diabetes, and mental health problems. Research indicates that nearly 70% of preventable adult diseases are rooted in habits formed during childhood, especially dietary behaviors. This underscores the urgent need to embed nutrition education early, with schools serving as the most effective setting.

Bridging the Gap in Food Literacy

Despite the critical role schools can play, nutrition education is largely absent from most curricula. When present, it is often outdated or disconnected from everyday life. A lack of structured programs, age-appropriate materials, and trained educators hampers efforts to instill healthy habits among students.

To address this gap, there is a pressing need for a structured, developmentally appropriate curriculum that grows with the child—from preschool through middle school. This curriculum should not only teach about food groups but also incorporate lifestyle habits and environmental consciousness, helping students make connections between food, health, culture, and sustainability.

Central to this approach is promoting bio-diverse diets that emphasize local, seasonal, and culturally familiar foods. Such diets not only improve nutrition but also support local farmers, reduce environmental impact, and help preserve traditional food knowledge.

Integrating Nutrition into School Life

Embedding nutrition education into school life must go beyond occasional activities. Weekly lessons supported by practical initiatives like healthy canteens, school gardens, cooking demonstrations, and student-led campaigns can reinforce learning and encourage real-world application.

Around the world, schools are pioneering these efforts—students growing vegetables, preparing meals, decoding nutrition labels, and exploring how food choices affect personal health and the environment.

In India, frameworks like the National Education Policy and the School Health and Wellness Programme provide opportunities for integrated nutrition education. However, there remains a need for clearer guidelines, comprehensive curricula, dedicated time in the academic calendar, high-quality learning materials, and professional development for teachers.

Children must be recognized not just as learners, but as influential advocates for healthier communities. Equipped with the right knowledge, they can inspire change within their families, peer groups, and broader society—whether by demanding healthier school meals, reducing food waste, or promoting sustainable eating practices.

Ultimately, learning to eat well is about much more than food; it is about nurturing future generations to be healthier, more culturally aware, environmentally responsible, and better prepared to tackle the challenges of tomorrow. In a world grappling with malnutrition, overconsumption, climate change, and cultural erosion, food literacy is not optional—it is essential.

If we aspire to raise a generation that is healthier, more compassionate, and future-ready, integrating nutrition education into every child’s schooling must begin now.

Author: This news is edited by: Abhishek Verma, (Editor, CANON TIMES)

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