The Ministry of Health and Mass Media has launched the “Guide to Healthy School Canteen” in line with National Nutrition Month 2026, aiming to improve the nutritional quality of food provided to schoolchildren.

The guidelines, developed by the Ministry’s Nutrition Division, were unveiled at a ceremony held at the Faculty of Medicine Auditorium in Colombo under the patronage of Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.

The initiative seeks to ensure that students are provided with nutritious, safe and affordable meals, while promoting healthy eating habits and reducing the consumption of unhealthy food in schools, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.

Officials said the guidelines focus on five key objectives, including fostering a healthy, non-communicable disease–free generation, improving access to healthy meals, shaping positive dietary attitudes among children, promoting healthy eating practices within society and strengthening hygiene and management standards in school canteens.

Addressing the event, Minister Jayatissa stressed the importance of rapidly disseminating the guidelines and taking firm action to address Sri Lanka’s growing nutrition challenges.

He noted that while awareness of the issue exists among many stakeholders, there is reluctance to adopt necessary measures, warning that failure to act could have long-term consequences for public health and national development.

The Health Minister also highlighted concerns over past instances where sponsors withdrew support from school programmes following food regulation changes, raising broader questions about balancing funding needs with children’s nutritional wellbeing.

He further said the initiative is designed with long-term national development in mind, particularly for future generations expected to form the country’s workforce and emphasized that nutrition is central to disease prevention and requires sustained behavioural change.

The Ministry also pointed to recent health data showing ongoing nutrition challenges, including stunting, wasting and underweight rates among young children, as well as rising levels of anemia among pregnant mothers and high rates of overweight and obesity among adults.

School-based surveys also revealed widespread consumption of sugary drinks, salty snacks and fast food among adolescents, with a significant proportion reporting frequent intake of unhealthy food and beverages, according to the Health Ministry.