Kerala’s Malappuram launches ‘Healthy Plate’ project: What’s on the menu?

Kerala’s northern district of Malappuram, which has one of the state’s highest rates of lifestyle diseases, has launched the ‘Healthy Plate’ project to promote nutritious eating habits. The initiative, introduced by the district administration in collaboration with the health department, food safety department, and hotel and restaurant association, aims to provide healthier meal options and raise awareness about proper dietary practices. The project was first implemented at the civil station canteen in Malappuram Town, where special nutritious meals were introduced for journalists and government officials. The public can also walk in and order a health plate. It will soon be expanded to hotels and restaurants nationwide, ensuring people can access balanced and wholesome meals.

What’s being served on a healthy plate?
The ‘Healthy Plate’ offers three meal choices: vegetarian, eggetarian, and chicken-based, all designed to include essential nutrients required for a balanced diet. While the vegetarian and eggetarian cost Rs 60 a plate, a chicken healthy plate is charged Rs 80. A vegetarian plate consists of:
1) A green-leafy curry
2) A sprouts-based curry
3) A vegetable thoran
4) Raw carrots, cucumber and tomatoes
5) A few slices of water melon
6) A cup of curd
7) A small cup of white rice

If you order an eggetarian plate, you will get an additional boiled egg and a chicken plate will have an extra piece of chicken, cooked oil-free. While the date of its launch in other restaurants are not announced yet, the meals will be available at the same rate as the civil station once implemented. 

Objectives of healthy plate
One of the key objectives of the project is to address the growing prevalence of lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and renal failure in the district. Health experts highlight that unhealthy eating habits and erratic meal timings have significantly contributed to these issues. According to District Medical Officer Dr M Renuka, late-night heavy dinners, often consumed after 10 PM, are a major concern. “Ideally, dinner should be eaten before 7 PM to maintain a healthy metabolism. Through this project, we aim to change people’s eating patterns and encourage healthier choices positively,” she said.

The ‘Healthy Plate’ menu is designed with a focus on incorporating whole grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, leafy greens, dairy products, fish, meat, and eggs in a balanced manner. Malappuram District Collector V R Vinod emphasized that while food habits cannot be forcibly changed, raising awareness and ensuring access to healthier food options is crucial. “People are willing to eat healthy, but availability remains a challenge. This initiative seeks to bridge that gap,” he stated.

Nellikka campaign
The project aligns with the district’s earlier ‘Nellikka’ (Gooseberry) campaign, which was launched to combat lifestyle diseases through natural and preventive dietary measures. By extending the ‘Healthy Plate’ initiative to hotels and restaurants, the administration hopes to make nutritious food a convenient choice for the public, ultimately fostering a healthier community.