Many of us Malaysians know that eating healthily in this country is never easy. Growing up in a multicultural nation, we’re constantly surrounded by a huge variety of delicacies which are usually way too delicious to resist.
Plus, it definitely doesn’t help that Penang was once voted as the world’s top destination for food!
However, in attempt to cultivate a healthier eating habit among children, SK Pauh Jaya has started preparing healthy “meal preps” for their students each day. The school that is located in Penang went viral after a Facebook post garnered close to 5,000 shares and received more than 6,500 likes.
Source: Facebook
This practice of meal prep is in conjunction with the Healthy Food in School Program (HiTS) which was founded in 2007. HiTS was designed to prepare food packs that perfectly meet the nutritional requirements of students. This is to ensure that students will grow up healthily whilst getting the right amount of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Each meal prepared is also priced at RM3 per day and includes a healthy drink!
OMG, since when has eating healthy been this cheap!
Source: Facebook
Source: Facebook
The netizen who posted about this, Salehah Ariffin, shared how this new concept has significantly eased her burdens as a parent. She also expressed that through this program, her children are now less prone to having their money stolen or dropped by accident. She says,
“My child can now go for recess and have her food already placed on the table. She doesn’t even need to find a seat or queue up for her food. With this new concept, the 20 minutes allocated for recess is absolutely perfect for her.”
“My daughter also doesn’t need to bring money to school anymore. With the meal preps, there will definitely be fewer cases of children stealing money from one another or of them accidentally dropping it.”
Source: Facebook
Many parents and netizens also commented on the post expressing how happy they are over the school’s initiative.
Source: Facebook
Here’s a translation of the comments:
“That’s good to hear. Wouldn’t it be great if all of the primary school cultivated this culture? Especially for the standard 1 and standard 2 students?”
“Does every school do this? It would be great if every student could get nutritious meals like these.”
“That’s the best. Now mothers can have an easier time too.”
“This is good because now children wouldn’t have to rush and fight for food.”
Source: Facebook
We’re glad that Malaysia has taken another step in cultivating a healthier eating lifestyle, especially among children. What are some other ways we can encourage each other to be healthier? Let us know in the comments section below!
Also read: 6 Malaysian Brands that Deliver Healthy Snacks to Your Doorstep
