Over 15 lakh Aanganwadi children get nutritious food through Take Home Ration (THR) in Gujarat

Gandhinagar: Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) are operational in Gujarat to improve the nutritional and health status of children between 0 to 6 years, pregnant and lactating mothers as well as adolescent girls. Under this ICDS, the Take Home Ration (THR) scheme has been implemented by the State Government with the objective of providing nutritious food and reducing malnutrition among these people. Nutritious food is provided under Take Home Ration to the beneficiaries through State Aanganwadis.

Today 15.87 lakh children in the age group of 6 months to 6 years in Anganwadis of Gujarat are being provided food rich in micronutrients. Nutritious food is also provided under Take Home Ration through Anganwadis to 6 lakh pregnant and lactating mothers as well as 11 lakh adolescent girls of the state.

Take Home Ration by 53,029 Aanganwadis in Gujarat

Nutritious and high-quality Take Home Ration (pre-mix) is distributed to the beneficiaries through 53,029 Aanganwadi centres in Gujarat. Take Home Ration packets are produced by Amul, Sumul and Banas Dairy, affiliated with the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation.

Nutritious food is provided by the state government to the beneficiaries in the form of Take Home Ration to meet 1/3rd of their daily requirement, i.e., 500 kcal and 12-15 grams of protein for children in the age group of 6 months to 6 years, 800 kcal and 20-25 grams of protein for severely underweight children and 600 kcal and 18-20 gram protein-rich diets are provided for pregnant and lactating women as well as adolescent girls.

AYUSH THR for better nutrition of children and women

Take Home Ration is a pre-mix of ready-to-eat nutritious food packed with calories, protein, and other micronutrients. About 40 different types of dishes can be prepared quickly by simply adding hot water to this pre-mix packet.

Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has always emphasized Ayurvedic medicines to improve health and nutrition. Keeping this in mind, the Government of Gujarat has taken the initiative to include AYUSH medicines in the Take Home Ration (THR). Ayurvedic ingredients like Triktu and Vidung for children and Ayurvedic components like Cumin and Musta for mothers have been added to the THR pre-mix. The pilot project of adding value to micronutrient-rich THR by adding AYUSH medicines is being conducted in 6 districts of Gujarat namely Bhavnagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Narmada, Dang, and Dahod.

Balshakti, Purnashakti and Matrushakti

Take Home Ration food packets have been divided into three potent foods, which include ‘Balshakti’ for children, ‘Purnashakti’ for adolescent girls, and ‘Matrushakti’ for pregnant and lactating mothers.

About 15.87 lakh children in the age group of 6 months to 3 years in Aanganwadis are given Balshakti packets, in which 7 packets of 500 grams of ‘Balshakti’ i.e. 3.5 kgs are given every month to children with normal weight, 10 packets of 500 grams of monthly ‘Balshakti’ i.e. 5 kgs of is provided to underweight children in the age group of 6 months to 3 years, while 4 packets of 500 grams of monthly ‘Balshakti’ i.e. 2 kg are given to the underweight children in the age group of 3 years to 6 years in Aanganwadi.

At the same time, 4 packets of 1 kg i.e. 4 kg of monthly Matrushakti as well as Purnashakti are provided to 6 lakh pregnant and lactating mothers and 11 lakh adolescent girls respectively.

India to celebrate ‘Rashtriya Poshan Maah’ from September 1 to 30

Poshan Abhiyaan is implemented by the Government of India to improve the nutritional levels of pregnant and lactating mothers, adolescent girls, and children up to the age of 6 years. ‘Rashtriya Poshan Maah’ is being celebrated across India from 1st to 30th September 2023 to fulfill the objectives of Poshan Abhiyaan.

The focus of the Poshan Abhiyaan this year is to create awareness and nutrition-based sensibilities regarding the main stages of the life cycle i.e., pregnancy, infancy, childhood and adolescence. The theme of this year’s Poshan Maah is ‘Suposhit Bharat, Saakshar Bharat, Sashakt Bharat’. In Gujarat, Poshan Maah will be actively celebrated during September, which includes activities on themes such as exclusive breastfeeding and supplementary food, Healthy Child competition, Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi, Mission LiFE to improve nutrition, tribal areas focused on nutrition, etc. DeshGujarat