Kids are the future of the nation… Unhealthy kids mean an unhealthy nation.”

St. Mary’s School ICSE in collaboration with deGustibus Hospitality Pvt Ltd organized a workshop on Healthy Eating Habits for the students of Classes 5 to 8. The facilitator of the workshop was Mr. Anurag Katriar, the director and CEO of deGustibus Hospitality. A company that owns and operates popular brands like Indigo Deli, Indigo Burger Project, Doh, Tote and many more. He is also actively involved with the National Restaurant’s Association of India (NRAI), the voice of Indian F&B Industry and is currently serving as its president.

Mr. Katriar began the interactive workshop by asking students to laugh, stating that laughter keeps us healthy. The following points were included in the workshop:

Drinks: Avoid Aerated drinks – A litre of coke has 26 teaspoons of sugar and a humble coke can too has 10 spoons of sugar. Packaged fruit juices are abnormally high on sugar. Red bull contains caffeine which is not good for health.

Food chains such as Burger King, Mc Donald’s, Dominos, Subway, etc. Bread is made more than 5 to 6 months prior to consumption and only baked in the store. Cheese used contains only flavouring and chemical oil treatment and is not authentic. It impacts a person’s digestive system.

Eat Fresh not Frozen/Packaged – Avoid frozen foods like french-fries, smileys, sausages, etc. as they are blast frozen

Avoid packaged foods like Chips, Maggie, Chewing / Bubble gum as they are rich in preservatives. Preservatives like Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) are banned in several countries as it is very bad for health. Better to eat fresh food like Vada Pao (but it is still not a healthy food).

Amul Kool, Mad over donuts, KFC, Multi Grain and Whole wheat bread, etc. are ok when eaten in moderation but foods found in nature are the best.

Thumb rules : Refrain while consuming any food with high sugar, salt or fat as binge eating of these kinds of food will lead to diseases. Avoid what is convenient and tasty as it isn’t always good for our health. Taste is important while choosing food but health is far more important.

When questioned about the government regulations Mr. Katriar stated that the government has instructed the companies to put precautionary labels on foods and beverages as well as the nutritional value of the food. The students asked a number of questions which Mr. Katriar responded to willingly.