BBAU Organizes Nutrition Awareness Activities under the 9th National Nutrition Month

Lucknow: Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow, through the Department of Food and Nutrition, School of Home Science, organized a series of nutrition awareness activities under the 9th National Nutrition Month on the theme “Our Anganwadi, Our Responsibility.” The activities aimed to create awareness among students and the community about balanced diets, healthy eating habits, nutrition education, and the use of locally available and nutritious food items. The programmes were organized under the guidance and encouragement of the Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, Prof. R. K. Mittal. Prof. Sunita Mishra, Senior Professor and In-charge Vice Chancellor, sensitized Anganwadi workers about the importance of nutrition and particularly emphasized the need for adequate and balanced nutrition for pregnant women. She also highlighted the benefits of including millets (Shri Anna) in the daily diet and stressed the importance of incorporating sustainable, affordable, and locally available food items into the diet.
The entire series of activities was organized under the direction and supervision of Prof. Neetu Singh, Dean and Head, School of Home Science. Dr. Priyanka Shankar, Dr. Madhavi Daniel and Dr. Ashish Jatav, along with research scholars and office staff of the department, extended active support in the organization of the activities.
As part of the Nutrition Month activities, a poster and slogan competition was organized along with a flex-making activity for nutrition awareness. More than 100 students enthusiastically participated in these activities. Through their posters, slogans and flexes, the students presented messages related to balanced and nutritious diets, healthy eating habits, dietary diversity and the importance of nutrition in daily life. The awareness material particularly emphasized the theme “Our Anganwadi, Our Responsibility” and highlighted the role of Anganwadi centres, nutrition of children and communities, and the importance of community participation.
As part of the initiative, the Department of Food and Nutrition also organized a community visit and nutrition awareness programme at a secondary school located in Bijnor, Sarojini Nagar, Lucknow. Postgraduate and Ph.D. students of the department visited the school and created awareness among students and members of the community through posters and flexes. Around 80 secondary school students actively participated in the programme. They were sensitized about balanced and nutritious food, healthy eating habits, and the importance of proper nutrition in daily life.
On the occasion, Prof. Sunita Mishra and Prof. Neetu Singh apprised the students and members of the community about the importance of a healthy and balanced diet. They emphasized the need to include foods of different colours in the daily meal plate and explained that fruits and vegetables of different colours are important sources of various essential nutrients. They also provided information about the health benefits of millets (Shri Anna), moringa (drumstick) and other locally available nutritious foods, and encouraged the students to incorporate these foods into their daily diet.
During the community programme, nutrition kits were also distributed among Anganwadi workers. The initiative aimed to support Anganwadi workers in effectively disseminating nutrition-related messages among children and communities and to take nutrition awareness activities to the grassroots level. Refreshments were also arranged for the school students. An interactive session was held with the students to address their queries related to nutrition and encourage them to adopt healthy food and eating habits.
Research scholars of the department also played an important role in the successful conduct of the programme. Alka Nanda, Ayushi Singh, Prashant Sagar, Shailesh Kumar, Tanya Singh, Neha Maurya, Divya Dubey and Priyansha Prakash actively participated in poster and flex preparation, development of awareness materials, interaction with students, community visits and various stages of the programme.
The initiative undertaken by the Department of Food and Nutrition was an important step towards promoting community participation and nutrition awareness in the spirit of “Our Anganwadi, Our Responsibility.” The successful organization of the activities conveyed the message that the collective participation of educational institutions, students, families, Anganwadi workers and the community is essential for building a healthy and well-nourished society.

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