Why add eggs to midday meals?

In 2017, we offered each Grade I-VIII student in Azim Premji School (APS), Sirohi, Rajasthan, the option to include an egg in their midday meal. Most students in our school came from neighbouring villages. For some of them, the midday meal provided in school was the only nutritious meal they received in a day (see Box 1). The height and weight of many of our students (measured regularly as part of our health monitoring programme), particularly the girls, did not meet age-appropriate standards. They also showed other signs of undernutrition (like difficulty in focusing, fatigue, and frequent illness).

Are common beliefs about eggs scientifically valid?

Parents of 35-40% of the children in our school were concerned about eggs being served in their midday meals. Some of these concerns were based on the following beliefs:

• Belief: Daily consumption of eggs is not required if children get sufficient food.

Facts: The belief that eating sufficient food (enough calories) ensures good nutrition is quite common. However, for a meal to be balanced, the nutritional quality of the food sources that provide these calories is more important than the number of calories. For this reason, the recommendation is that each midday meal provide 450 calories and 12 g of the daily protein requirement of Grade I-V students and 700 calories and 20 g of the protein requirement of Grade VI-VIII students (see Box 2).¹² Midday meals that are cereal- or millet-based, even when fortified, may meet these caloric requirements without satisfying the recommended protein requirements.⁷ In contrast, including protein-rich food in these meals can help meet both requirements.

In Chapter 3 (‘Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body’) of the Grade VI science textbook (NCERT, 2024-2025), students learn that we can get proteins (body-building nutrients) from both plants and animals (see Fig. 1). Plant-based foods rich in proteins include pulses, peas, beans, soya, and nuts. Animal-based foods rich in proteins include milk, paneer, eggs, meat, and fish.¹⁰

The midday meals in Rajasthan include pulses and milk to meet the recommended protein requirements. We chose to also offer eggs as an option because they are nutrient- dense sources of proteins with high biological value. Eating just one average-sized egg (44-56 g) per day can provide a child with 6-7 g of protein that: (a) Can be readily digested by the child’s body, (b) Releases each of the nine essential amino acids (these amino acids cannot be produced by humans, but are necessary for us) when digested, and (c) Allows a child’s body to readily absorb and use these amino acids. This is not all. Each egg has almost all vitamins (except vitamin C) and many important minerals (like calcium, zinc, selenium, iron, iodine, and phosphorous). It also contains antioxidants (like lutein and zeaxanthin that support eye health) and is one of the richest sources of choline (essential in supporting cognitive functions). Like its proteins, many of the other nutrients in an egg are present in highly bioavailable forms. This means that they can be readily absorbed by a child’s body.^14,15 Also, eggs are tasty, widely available, relatively affordable, and have a longer shelf life than milk and bananas. They are easy to prepare (can be served boiled), and may be less prone to adulteration (like watering down) than pulses and milk (see Teacher’s Guide I).

• Belief: A single egg is enough to meet the daily protein requirements of a child.

Facts: Proteins are vital in the physical and mental development of growing children. ICMR-NIN recommends a daily allowance of 23 g of protein for a 7–9-year- old child and 33 g of protein for a 10–12-year-old.¹³ While eggs are an excellent source of protein, one boiled egg is not sufficient to meet a child’s daily protein allowance. In contrast, a diet that includes eggs and other sources of protein (like dairy, legumes, or soya chunks) is more likely to help a child get their daily allowance of protein, while also providing other essential nutrients.

• Belief: Since eggs can hatch into chicks, they are non-vegetarian.

Facts: Vegetarian diets are of different kinds. They may exclude all animal products (vegan). Or they may include milk and milk products (lacto-vegetarian), eggs (ovo- vegetarian), or fish (pescatarians). A common belief is that eggs are non-vegetarian food because they can hatch into chicks. This is not accurate. Most eggs that are sold commercially for our consumption are unfertilized (see Teacher’s Guide II).

• Belief: Eating eggs can cause stomach pain due to digestive issues like bloating or build-up of gas.

Facts: Eggs are considered a good source of digestible protein.^1,16 But some children (about 2%), especially under the age of five, may be allergic to egg proteins, while some other children may be intolerant to them. It is important that parents of children experiencing any adverse effects after consuming a meal with eggs consult with a medical doctor to confirm the cause.^17,18

For children who are allergic or intolerant to egg proteins, alternative sources of dietary protein recommended in the PM-POSHAN scheme include milk, groundnut- jaggery (chikki), and bananas. For children who do not have such allergies or food intolerances, eggs are an affordable and accessible source of essential nutrients that may not always be found in other alternatives (see Table I).

• Belief: Boiled eggs are unhealthy because they increase blood cholesterol levels. This could lead to heart disease or other health issues later in life.

Facts: Eggs are naturally high in cholesterol (all in their yolks). But research shows that they do not raise blood cholesterol levels as much as food items that are rich in saturated and trans fats (such as palm oil, vanaspati, butter, ice cream, fried food, cakes, and pastries) do.^19,21

Some studies suggest that the more eggs you eat per week, the higher your risk of cardiovascular disease. But this could be related to how eggs are cooked (for example, fried in saturated fats such as butter or oil) and what they are eaten with (for example, parathas cooked in oil or bread and butter).²¹ Eggs in midday meals are boiled and not accompanied by foods rich in saturated fats.

Health experts suggest reducing dietary cholesterol levels to 300 mg per day. If the rest of a child’s diet is not rich in cholesterol, they can eat an egg (a 50 g egg has 186 mg of cholesterol) a day.²¹ At APS Sirohi, each child receives one egg a day, six days a week. In many states, each child receives 2-3 eggs per week under the PM-POSHAN scheme.¹²

• Belief: Eating eggs during the hot summer months can cause discomfort, dehydration, or other heat-related issues.

Facts: Studies suggest that eggs can be consumed in moderation year-round by children. They may also provide the nutrients needed to maintain energy levels during hot weather. Many studies suggest that the risk of food-borne illnesses can increase during hot months. So extra care may need to be taken to ensure that eggs are stored, handled, and cooked hygienically enough to avoid causing such illnesses.

It may also help to ensure that children have access to enough clean drinking water and that their meals include more locally available water-rich vegetables (like cucumber, bottle gourd, ash gourd, and ridge gourd). These steps can help children stay hydrated during hot summers and cope with some of the negative effects of heat stress.

• Belief: Eating eggs may alter the onset of puberty.

Facts: We found no evidence to support this belief. There is evidence that a balanced diet is necessary at all stages of a child’s growth. But, as emphasized in Chapter 7 (‘Reaching the Age of Adolescence’) of the Grade VIII science textbook (NCERT, 2024-2025), it is particularly important in supporting the growth spurt that adolescents experience during puberty and the menstrual cycle.²² Eggs are considered protective foods because they protect against deficiencies and support overall health. Including them in the diet of adolescents, especially girls, can help meet part of the daily allowance of protein, iron, and vitamin D that they need for healthy growth and bone development during puberty (see Teacher’s Guide III).²³

Parting thoughts

Decisions related to the food choices of Grade I-VIII children are made mostly by their parents. Many beliefs that children and parents, especially in rural areas, hold towards food may be influenced by the larger community they are part of. Based on our experience of including eggs in the midday meals of our students, open and continuing discussions with children and parents can play an important role in addressing food-related beliefs. We used such discussions to: (a) Draw out and record concerns that parents and children had about eggs, and (b) Communicate scientifically valid facts on eggs and their effects on human health. This process has helped our students connect concepts on nutrition from their science textbooks with food-related decisions they make in school (like the options they choose for their midday meals) and outside it (see Box 3). It has helped improve their nutrition and foster a more open-minded approach toward dietary diversity in our school. Eggs are offered as an option in the midday meals of students in all nine Azim Premji Schools (APS) in the country (in Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand). Some of the beliefs parents of our students in APS Sirohi had about eggs may be common to parents of children from these and other schools. We have shared our experience in the hope that it will help teachers and parents from across the country use the science of nutrition to make healthier food choices for children.