The Pattern of Food Groups in Packed Lunches among School Children of Rural Konni Block in Central Kerala, India − A Lunch Box Survey

Abstract

Lunch, being the main meal, is a representation of the eating habits and dietary preferences of the children and parents. The lunch box survey was an attempt to identify the contents in the lunch box of the primary school children of the Rural Konni block. The food items brought in the lunch box were classified into cereals, vegetables, fruits, non-vegetarian foods, and fried foods. This is captured using a pre-designed questionnaire with a pictorial representation of the lunch box. A cereal-rich diet combined with vegetables with infrequent meat consumption and no fruits was the dietary consumption pattern in the school children of rural Konni. A changing trend for liking energy-dense foods is shown by the majority of the students. This calls for further novel innovations to develop a healthy school food environment.