Mumbai, Sept. 2 -- The humble batata vada may soon lose its place of honour at government meetings and canteens in Maharashtra. Under a new state policy, even pakodas, cutlets, dhoklas, biscuits and other oily or highly processed snacks served at official gatherings are set to make way for fruits, boiled pulses, salads, idli sambar, and millet bhakris. The state cabinet on Tuesday cleared a proposal to introduce healthier food options at government and semi-government offices, with the aim of making balanced and nutritious diets part of the daily lives of government employees. The policy will apply to food served at meetings, programmes, conferences and training sessions, with government departments instructed to promote healthier options and reduce the proportion of oily and highly processed snacks. Nipun Vinayak, principal secretary of the public health department, said the proposal "would nudge the government machinery to adopt a nutritious, wholesome diet, thereby kick-starting a similar cultural shift in society". Dr Kailas Baviskar, deputy director of the health department, added, "There is a big surge in lifestyle diseases, and we wanted to bring healthier food." Officials said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who prefers healthy food, does not eat at the Mantralaya canteen or at government programmes because the food there is high in carbs. According to a statement issued by the chief minister's office, priority will now be given to items such as seasonal fruits, boiled eggs, boiled pulses, poha, idli-sambar, sugar-free green tea, bhakris made from ragi, jowar and bajra, buttermilk, salads, vegetables, dals and usals. The proportion of oily and highly processed snack items will be reduced, while local and traditional foods rich in nutritious ingredients will be promoted. For meals, instructions have been issued to include dal, usal, leafy vegetables, buttermilk, salad, vegetables and, where necessary, a balanced combination of grains, the statement said. The healthy menu will also have to be incorporated into new catering contracts awarded by government offices. Before the policy is implemented, government and semi-government institutions have been asked to discuss health-related concerns and possible measures with their employees, officials said. A senior doctor involved in fine-tuning the proposal said the idea was to create a healthy, balanced dietary environment in government and semi-government offices across the state, and to focus on healthy diets to prevent non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and heart disease. "At least 20% of Mantralaya employees have either high blood pressure or diabetes. The idea is also to limit the consumption of ultra-processed foods and foods high in sugar, salt, oil and unhealthy fats," said the doctor....