Tamil Nadu to Revamp School Midday Meal Menu; New Dishes Under Consideration

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has directed officials to improve the quality and variety of food served under the state`s school midday meal scheme, with a revised menu expected to be announced soon.

Currently, students in government schools receive meals such as vegetable biryani, sambar rice, black chickpea curry, tomato rice, tamarind rice, lemon rice, curry leaf rice and spinach rice under the nutrition programme, which benefits over 40.8 lakh students across Tamil Nadu.

Under the Breakfast Scheme, primary school students are served items including upma, kichadi and pongal. The government has already announced plans to expand the breakfast programme up to Class 8 from September.

During a recent review meeting of the School Education Department, the Chief Minister instructed officials to ensure that students receive high-quality, nutritious meals comparable to home-cooked food.

Officials have also been directed to revise the existing menu by introducing new food items to improve both nutrition and meal quality. Discussions on the updated menu are currently underway, and the government is expected to announce the revised food list in the near future.