The Karnataka government has issued a detailed nutrition advisory specifying what should be served at official meetings and events, while directing departments to avoid several commonly served items, including fried snacks and milk-based tea and coffee. The order, dated April 13, states that the objective is to encourage proper diet and nutrition practices in government workplaces, noting that food currently served in such settings “is not necessarily healthy and does not promote a healthy diet and nutrition.”
The advisory draws on the World Health Organisation’s definition of health as encompassing physical, mental, and social well-being, and highlights nutrition as an essential element of preventive healthcare.
For in-house office meetings and short breaks, the government has recommended millet-based snacks and items that are low in fat, oil, and sugar; high in fibre; and free from additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG). It suggests serving fresh cut fruits, vegetable salads, sprouts, and roasted unsalted nuts, along with seeds such as pumpkin, flax, and sunflower. Recommended beverages include green tea and low-fat buttermilk. Drinking water, it adds, should be boiled and served in glass bottles or steel flasks.
For larger government functions, the advisory calls for low-sugar, low-fat, and low-oil cooked or baked food. It mandates the inclusion of millet-based items—at least one during snack service and a minimum of two during meals. It also recommends using brown rice instead of white rice. When non-vegetarian food is served, it advises limiting it to well-cooked lean or white meat.
The advisory extends similar guidelines to eateries within government office campuses. It asks departments to avoid certain items altogether, including microwave-heated or cooked food, industrially processed items, high-fat or heavily spiced dishes, fried snacks, carbonated drinks, high-sugar fruit juices, alcohol-based beverages, milk tea, milk coffee, and drinking water served in plastic bottles.
It also stresses the need to maintain hygiene and cleanliness while preparing and serving food and water. Additionally, the government has encouraged departments to source food and beverages from local cottage industries, self-help groups (SHGs), prison kitchens, and nutri-gardens.