Fiji's Health and Education ministries are working together to ensure school canteens around the country are providing nutritional food and snacks to students.

Health minister Dr Neil Sharma said the purpose of the school canteen guidelines is to promote healthy lifestyles as early amongst young children.

“We need to produce and provide food that are nutritional and reduce high calorie drinks that has high sugar content and that has no nutritional value to it,” Dr Sharma said.

 “With the school health program already in place, we are working with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Youths and Sports so that children exercise in schools and to be taught to plant locally grown root crops and vegetables."

The guideline incorporates the Fiji Food and Health Guidelines, as well as the Education Ministry’s policy on food and nutrition in schools.

By Reginald Chandar