FRIED chicken wings were once a staple at Bukit View Primary School's canteen, but now the crispy, fattening treats have flown the coop.

Three years ago, the school at Bukit Batok phased out all fried food. Yes, there is still chicken, but in the form of cutlets grilled and with the skin removed.

The move is part of its endeavour to provide healthier food, driven by the Model School Tuckshop Programme which was started by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) and the Ministry of Education in 2003.

This aims to encourage tuckshops to give healthier food choices, important considering that children eat at least one snack or meal a day from such outlets, multiplied by the number of years students are in school, says an HPB spokesman.

To achieve the 'model school tuckshop' status, all such stalls in a school have to meet guidelines set by HPB. This includes selling at least two types of fresh fruit daily and using milk instead of coconut milk in dishes like laksa.

Over at Gongshang Primary which revamped its menu three years ago, Mrs Ow Kwee Gim, head of the physical education department, says: 'The teachers had a lot of complaints from the kids

in the first week that we made the change. 'Why no more nuggets? Why no more hot dogs?''

The school in Tampines made the changes after realising that its obesity rate was increasing. Those who found it hardest to swallow the changes were pupils who had the choice of fried food

in their earlier years, she says. Primary 1 pupils, however, never realised there was any difference.

In 2003, only 9 per cent of participants achieved Model School Tuckshop status but that rose to over 80 per cent last year. More than 90 per cent of schools are taking part in the programme.

WANT to prepare a good breakfast but not sure how? Dietitian Anna Jacob, who reckons that kids need 15 to 20 minutes to eat breakfast properly, offers some tips:

• Plan what you want to serve for breakfast the day before. If your child is mature enough, discuss what he would like to have. Involving him could make him more enthusiastic about breakfast.

• Ensure that the breakfast table is set the night before to make things easier in the morning.

• Wake your child up a little earlier so that he has time to eat in a calm manner.

• Keep the breakfast simple so that it doesn't take too long to prepare. A sandwich made with wholegrain bread with tuna or cheese will provide carbohydrates and protein and can be ready in minutes. Add a glass of milk for protein, calcium and vitamins.

• If you can't pack fruit, adding tomatoes and lettuce in the sandwich will add vitamins and fibre.

• Keep to this routine so that he gets used to waking up and eating in the morning.

• Sit down and eat with him. This will help you supervise his eating habit, plus you'll provide a great role model for him.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Jan 20, 2008