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What began as a toddler’s playful food request has now led to a wholesome transformation in Kerala's anganwadi meal plan. A viral video of young Trijal S Sundhar—fondly known as Sanku—has inspired a state-wide revamp of meals served to children at government-run childcare centers.

In the heartwarming clip, little Sanku, sporting a cap and eating biryani at home, earnestly said, "I want birnani (biryani) and poricha kozhi (chicken fry) at the anganwadi, not upma." Shared on Instagram by his mother, the video quickly captured the internet’s attention, prompting both laughter and reflection. Soon, it reached the state’s corridors of power.

True to her word, Kerala’s Minister for Health and Women and Child Development, Veena George, promised a rethink of the anganwadi menu—and she delivered. On Tuesday, during the State-level Praveshanolsavam event in Pathanamthitta, she unveiled a revamped “model food menu” aimed at making meals more nutritious and appealing to young children.

Kerala Anganwadi Menu 

Replacing the earlier, simpler dishes, the updated menu now includes items like egg biryani, pulav, dal payasam, soya dry curry, and nutri laddus, as reported by PTI. This is the first time the state has rolled out a standardised, unified menu across all its anganwadis.

Minister George noted that the revised diet plan not only caters to children’s taste buds but also meets nutritional goals. Breakfast, lunch, and mid-day snacks are now designed to provide balanced nutrition. Traditional delicacies such as kozhukkatta and ilayada are making a comeback, complemented by high-protein dishes like chickpea curry, wheat crumb pulav, and raita, reported Indian Express.

In another notable change, the frequency of serving milk and eggs has increased from two to three times a week. The menu also now includes nutritional breakdowns for each meal to ensure children are receiving adequate nourishment.