JEDDAH — Despite the strict conditions imposed by the Ministry of Education on school cafeterias, many schools are ignoring them and selling junk food. Many cafeterias were found to be selling potato chips, artificially colored juices and other food that have no nutritional value. There was a general lack of healthy food at these facilities, Okaz/Saudi Gazette has discovered. Dr. Khalid Al-Madani, nutrition consultant at the Ministry of Health, said students are not eating enough nutritious food. He criticized parents for neglecting to monitor their children's diets. School children, he said, are more susceptible to illnesses associated with malnutrition. Health bodies recommend that good nutrition should begin at an early age, he added. School children should be taught the basics of good nutrition as part of their learning. In addition, information should be posted around schools and inside classrooms, he said. Children should be encouraged to bring their breakfast from home instead of buying it from the school cafeteria. He said meals should have variety so that children will not get bored of eating the same meals. Other health practices should also be enforced at schools, including washing hands before and after meals, washing fruit and vegetables and refraining from buying at mobile food stands. Many students complained about the quality of food in school cafeterias, claiming it was not healthy and limited in variety. However, they often have no choice but to consume what the cafeterias offer, they said.
