Reimagining school nutrition to combat childhood hypertension: promoting healthy hearts.

• High blood pressure in India is increasing among children, with 7.3% of adolescents having hypertensive blood pressure levels.

• The Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) from 2016-18 found that 7.3% of Indian adolescents had hypertension, with 9.1% in urban areas.

• The National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) shows that 12% of teens aged 15–19 already have elevated blood pressure.

• The main cause of this trend is rising childhood obesity, less physical activity, and a lifestyle shift indoors and online.

• The food children are eating, particularly processed snacks, is a major contributor to this issue.

• Indian adolescents are consuming more than 8 grams of salt a day, almost double the World Health Organization’s recommended limit for adults.

• The Indian mid-day meal scheme (PM POSHAN) can help break these habits early.

• The scheme feeds approximately 120 million children across over 1.27 million schools, making it the largest school meal programme globally.

• The next phase of PM POSHAN could combine nutritional targets with efforts to cultivate a more joyful, educational relationship with food.

• The concept of ShoKuiku, food education, is woven into school life, helping children understand how to make better choices.

• Vietnam’s Ministry of Education adapted the ShoKuiku model in 2012 to improve school lunches.