India, Feb. 26 -- Lunchtime in most Indian schools is rarely a calm pause for a healthy meal. It is rushed, noisy, and often chaotic. In many government schools, children eat quickly, pick what they like, waste the rest, and turn to packaged snacks even when hot meals are served. Teachers are rarely present, and lunch becomes a race to finish and run out to play.

Private schools tell an equally troubling story. Canteens are packed with sugary, ultra-processed foods, and lunchboxes mirror the same. Children eat in haste, amid chatter and swapping. Across both systems, lunch is shaped more by speed and convenience than by care and nourishment. As a result, children never develop a healthy relationship with food and are left to navigate unh...