On a platter

The Department of Personnel & Training has issued a list of "new and healthy food items" that departmental canteens in central government offices should offer. It has asked canteens to add 13 types of snacks and beverages to their repertoire - different types of vegetable soups, dhokla, khakhra, poha, matar chaat, sprouts, muffins, pav bhaji, mishti doi, soya snacks, shrikhand, buttermilk and lemonade. Until now, the canteens followed a menu last revised in 2008. Among other things, the earlier menu offered samosa, vegetable cutlets, idli-sambhar, paneer pakora, besan laddoo and coconut laddoo - primarily food from north and south India. The new menu has added snack options popular in Gujarat and Maharashtra. The notification was issued last Thursday.