The mid-day meal spread for schools in Kerala has been given a nutritious overhaul. Superfoods like microgreens and hugely popular delicacies like fried rice and biriyani will be served along with the usual dishes.

The mid-day meal contents have been reformed on the basis of a report submitted by an expert committee appointed by the Kerala government to restructure the menu. The committee's brief was to ensure a balanced and nutritious diet and also to achieve uniformity in the menu for the entire state. "If sambhar is served in Thiruvananthapuram, it will be served everywhere in Kerala," is how General Education Minister V Sivankutty put it.

Microgreens (tiny edible plants harvested after their first leaves appear) will be served at least twice a month in place of vegetables. And when vegetables are served, pulses will also be served alongside them to provide a balanced diet. Now, pulses like green gram, red gram and green peas are served only once a week.

To provide relief from the usual menu, vegetable fried rice or lemon rice or vegetable biriyani prepared using fortified rice (rice lookalikes with high nutrition value made using rice flour, vitamins, and minerals) will be served once a week. As taste enhancers and for digestion, side dishes like pickles will also be served.

A unique chutney made by mixing nutritious contents like spearmint (pudina), ginger, gooseberry (nellikka) and raw mango will also b part of the menu. General education minister V Sivankutty smacked his lips while speaking about this 'chammanthi'. "This will be excellent," he said with a smile.

Considering their health benefits, the minister said ragi balls, ragi 'kozhukatta' made of jaggery and coconut, 'ela ada', 'aval kuthirthathu', carrot payasam made with milk, and payasam made with ragi or other millets will also be part of the menu.

Mid-Day Meal Scheme is managed, monitored and supervised at school level by the 'School Noon Feeding committee' which consists of PTA President, members of PTA, representatives of parents of children belonging to SC/ST category and minority communities, ward member, head of the institution and teachers’ representatives.

The cooks and helpers are appointed by the 'School Noon Feeding committee'. It also decides the menu. Meal is prepared in the school premises in separate kitchens. Many schools have separate dining halls for serving the meal. In schools that lack dining halls, the prepared meal is taken to the class rooms and served hot by the teachers.