Cooking Mega Meals – Akshaya Patra Kitchens

The midday meal programme is one of the most potential interventions to bring those children to school who would otherwise be compelled to work and earn. These children hail from such socio-economically challenging backgrounds where “attending school” is a distant dream. But that doesn’t deter them from dreaming and aspiring for a better life. And education is the only means that can free them from the vicious poverty-illiteracy cycle.
As an NGO serving children for the past 21 years, The Akshaya Patra Foundation understands the crucial role of mid-day meals. Hence, it makes all efforts to ensure that children receive their share of nutritious meals on time, on every school day. Akshaya Patra prepares these meals in its own state-of-the-art mega kitchens located across India. These kitchens have left visitors awestruck with their spick-and-span facility, seamless process and operations, and enthusiastic team. Over the years, Akshaya Patra’s kitchens have received several appreciations. Among all the laurels, being a part of London Business School’s MBA Curriculum and getting broadcasted in National Geographic Channel’s India’s Mega Kitchen Show are certainly worthy of mention.
An inside tour of Akshaya Patra’s kitchen
To implement the midday meal programme, Akshaya Patra ensures adherence to standard operating processes, meal nutrition guidelines, and maintenance of complete hygiene and quality.

• Akshaya Patra Kitchen Facility: Hygiene and quality are the two topmost priorities at Akshaya Patra while preparing meals for lakhs of children. Akshaya Patra operates centralised kitchens in 50 locations across 13 States and 1 Union Territory. These kitchens are highly mechanised units and enables to maintain highest levels of hygiene by reducing human contact with food. It is a constant endeavour of the NGO to upgrade its facilities to meet highest standards of operations and continuously improve operational efficiency. Akshaya Patra has 20 ISO certified kitchens, of which two are OHSAS certified too.
• Process in Akshaya Patra Kitchen: The organisation is well-aware of the importance of midday meal programme for children in government schools and government-aided schools. Hence, it takes utmost care in preparation of the meals. Right from procurement of raw materials to delivery of the meals to schools, Akshaya Patra follows a standard process to make sure each day the meals are of high quality, safe, nutritious, and tasty. In this regard, it follows a well-structured Food Safety Management System, Supplier Quality Management System for procurement of quality raw materials, Quality Assurance Programme, standardised recipes, personal hygiene and safety gear, and makes use of food safe stainless steel and sanitised kitchen equipment and vessels. The cooked meals are packed in insulated stainless steel vessels and are transported to schools in customised delivery vehicles to retain freshness.
• Menu in Akshaya Patra Kitchen: As a midday meal programme implementor, Akshaya Patra wants every child to relish their meals as well as receive adequate nutrition. So, all the kitchens follow a cyclic and locally palatable menu in adherence to the standard dietary norms issued by the Central Mid-Day Meal Scheme. This ensures variety, nutrition, and taste, making it a wholesome meal for children.

Help Akshaya Patra to keep serving ‘meals of hope’

The midday meal programme by itself is an assurance of receiving one complete meal on each school day, and that’s what brings most children to school. This explains why Akshaya Patra as an NGO strives to ensure children are served with nutritious food every day. However, it requires the help of donors and supporters to continue its service, making online donations crucial. You can help this organisation just on the click of a button. Your contribution of ₹1,100 will support health and education of a child for an entire year. Donate generously and spread the word too.