ABU DHABI // Six months after the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority ordered all schools to stop selling junk food, some students say vegetables have become the best part of lunch.
Last September, the authority banned crisps, burgers, chocolate and sugary drinks from school menus.
Yesterday, 16 inspectors checked school kitchens in search of shawarma, ice cream and energy drinks such as Red Bull. Of the 57 cafeterias inspected, seven were warned for having banned items.
The move is meant to combat the increasing number of pupils suffering from childhood obesity in the UAE. A 2009 Ministry of Health survey of Dubai and the Northern Emirates found that 4.4 per cent of children were morbidly obese, 16.1 per cent were obese, and 32.3 per cent were overweight.
But at Emirates National School, education combined with daily exposure to vegetables had helped students overcome their reservations, said Amaal Tantour, the school's nutritionist.
The school emphasises the importance of healthy living. The trick, Ms Tantour said, was to showcase how versatile vegetables could be.
"Every day, it's done differently," she said, adding that the food is cooked to preserve texture, without spices or salt.
"Vegetables are now my favourite food," said one six-year-old student. "I like it more than chocolate."
In addition to the healthy lunch, students are given a mid-morning snack of sandwiches or manakish. There is an on-site bakery to make the pastries fresh each day. According to Ms Tantour, students need both a snack and a meal to give them enough energy to focus throughout the day.
But despite teachers' best efforts, they realise there is little they can do about what a child eats once he leaves school grounds.
As Hamad happily chowed down on the stew of carrots, beans and potatoes, he said dinner would be macaroni, plain and simple.
"My parents don't give me vegetables at home, but maybe some fruit," the young pupil said.
According to Ms Tantour, while the school tries to educate parents about healthy eating, it also ensures that children get all of the necessary servings of vegetables during the day. The new guidelines mean there is less variety on the menu, so children enjoy their meals more.
"It's the mentality of little kids," said Ms Tantour.
According to Asha, another student, this year's lunch offerings are better than the previous year's.
The inspection was part of larger efforts to ensure that school canteens comply with the authority's food-handling standards, and compulsory training for food-safety employees.
"We need to ensure that canteens follow the regulations and ordinances concerning food safety, and whether suppliers also comply to the new guidelines," said Mohammed al Reyaysa, the communications director for the authority.
The rules were drawn up in conjunction with the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Education Council. Some staple items, such as croissants and manakish, were returned to the menu after being banned last year.
mdetrie@thenational.ae
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
The biog
Name: Samar Frost
Born: Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: Singing, music and socialising with friends
Favourite singer: Adele
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
Wednesday's results
Finland 3-0 Armenia
Faroes Islands 1-0 Malta
Sweden 1-1 Spain
Gibraltar 2-3 Georgia
Romania 1-1 Norway
Greece 2-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Liechtenstein 0-5 Italy
Switzerland 2-0 Rep of Ireland
Israel 3-1 Latvia
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
