What are children putting in their mouths?

A little girl, in a grey and white uniform, was jumping with joy at the sight of a cart selling cold coffee. Pointing to it, she told her father, "Baba, I want one!" 

Sitting on his bike, the father beckoned the seller. Soon, she was happily sipping from a plastic cup full of the beverage. 

Coffee, of course, is a heavily caffeinated drink, which is essentially meant for adults, and that too in limited quantities. In children, most medical practitioners agree, it interferes with natural growth and can have adverse impacts, such as increased anxiety, increased heart rate and blood pressure, acid reflux and sleep disturbance.

And yet, coffee seems to have become a new favourite of schoolchildren in Dhaka. 

Md Salam, who sells cold coffee in front of schools in Dhanmondi almost every day, said business has been going great this summer. As he handed over another cup – with chocolate sprinkles and a wafer stick – to a young student, he added, "Parents do not order that much, but the children simply love cold coffee." 

Photo: Noor A Alam

After visiting two of the largest school areas in the capital, Mohammadpur and Dhanmondi, it was evident that over the years, school children's food habits have changed quite a lot. Many items they are consuming are meant for adults or contain ingredients that may not be suitable for their digestive system. 

As our overall tastes and preferences change, life becomes hectic for both parents and children, and many carts and restaurants pop up on every corner, the dietary habits of children are undergoing a massive change, with little thought to the longer-term health implications. 

From cold coffees, and burgers to chicken fries, there are endless options for children to choose from nowadays, right outside their school gates, from their school cafeterias, at super shops and restaurants within their vicinity. There also appears to be an endless supply of traditional local snacks like jhalmuri, shingara, achar, chanachur, etc, which can both be unhygienic and unhealthy. 

According to the Bangladesh Census and Health Survey 2022, about 50% of the country's children between the ages of six and 23 months are consuming soft drinks and processed foods, which are high in added salt, sugar and fat. Experts believe these foods are contributing to growing childhood obesity and various other diseases.

Most school canteens do not provide healthier options; they sell soft drinks, chips, fried food etc. For busy parents, it is easier to grab something on the go and give it to their children, which very often is what the parents are eating themselves, although medical practitioners point out that a child's diet needs to be carefully curated to ensure they are receiving the proper nutrition to enable their growth.  

A food industry built around schools

Mohammadpur's Iqbal Road is notorious for regularly having one of the worst traffic gridlocks in the city in the afternoon. It is also one of the places where many parents, mostly mothers, wait for their children to finish classes. 

They wait on the footpaths or sit in the nearby park. Some food carts seemed to be doing good business only by catering to these waiting parents.

Tahmina (not her real name) was buying salted popcorn for her and her young son. Her other daughter is in grade two. "It is not like I want my children to eat street food or fast food. But we do not have any option really. I try to make snacks at home, but it requires time and effort."

Two mothers were busy buying hot shingaras from a shop. One of them said, "It is not the children's fault that they ask for food from outside. Look at us, even we like eating them. And frankly, after doing household chores and school duty, we do not have the time or energy to cook special or healthy items." 

"Just wait a bit longer, you will see customers, both adults and young, crowd around the achar cart," she added.    

Photo: Noor A Alam

Sometimes healthier options cost more. "The café Adda Prabartana nearby sells fresh juice etc but it is too pricey. One glass of juice is Tk80; we cannot afford it daily," said the other one. 

Getting used to outside food means children also lose interest in homemade food and parents have to give in to their wishes. 

10-year-old Mahi was standing with her father Mohiuddun Ahmed in front of her school in Asad Gate. The day before, she returned her homemade tiffin of paratha and vegetables that her mother made, Mohiuddin told us. 

Today, she was munching on potato chips on a stick. "This is the second chip on a stick she ate today. Yesterday I bought her a burger because she did not eat the homemade tiffin." 

These spiral-cut potatoes, also known as a twister or tornado chips, were sprinkled with ample salt and chilli powder and seemed to attract many young customers like Mahi.  

Several schools are located in Asad Gate, including St Joseph, Preparatory and Green Herald. As soon as the bell rings in the afternoon and classes are over, students come pouring out of the gates, many looking for something to eat.

From around 12 pm to 1:30 pm, nearby shops in the area like CP Fried Chicken, Shumi's Hot Cake etc become busy. One parent stopped the rickshaw in front of the CP shop and asked the shopkeeper to wrap up some food for her daughter. "Bhai, please pack that burger she likes," she said. The little girl quickly piped up, "Add a Coke!"

However, if parents want, they can keep their children away from street food. Or so believes Rizwan who was sitting with his younger daughter inside Sumi's, waiting for his older daughter's class to end. 

He said, "My older daughter did not know what fast food was until she was maybe five years old. I think only recently they have started asking for a Coke or Sprite during summer. But that is also monitored strictly by my wife and I."   

He added, "I believe, if you do not give in to whatever children want, they will learn that they cannot always get what they want. But of course, every parent has a different way of raising their children."      

Dhanmondi has twice as many restaurants as Mohammadpur if not more. Options for post-school snacks also vary greatly there. In the afternoon, you will spot young children in uniforms sitting with parents in Secret Recipe, La Bamba etc. 

Photo: Noor A Alam

The schools in Dhanmondi seemed to have more restrictions on food carts being stationed in front of the gates. Even then, a few of them selling colourful ice pops and items could be spotted near some schools. 

The fallout

Chief Dietician at Popular Medical College Hospital and Nutritionist Nishat Sharmin Nishi said fast food and street food can lead to childhood obesity and diabetes. 

"Children can also develop hypertension and kidney problems from the excess salt in these foods. Their digestive system is also affected so they have more gastric issues, diarrhoea etc."

They can also become hyperactive from the chemical compounds used in outside food. "Sometimes we give children caffeine, say a mug of tea after breakfast, without realising that it can impact their digestive system. 

Caffeine also makes it difficult for their bodies to absorb iron-enriched meals," she said.

The nutritionist further added that cold coffee, ice pops etc from street carts can cause waterborne diseases among children, as the water or ice used is usually of poor quality.  

Sometimes, some parents consider restaurant food to be healthy, if they come from high-end eateries. Doctors however warn against such uncritical acceptance without understanding what goes into the preparation of restaurant food.

Nayeem, a businessman by profession, was waiting for an Uber ride on Satmasjid Road. His son, a grade three student, was holding a small packet in his hand. His father pointed out it was a cheesecake slice he had bought earlier. "The shop is quite well-known, and I believe the ingredients are also good."

Nutritional Specialist Farzana Ahmed said, "The food colours used to attract children are harmful to them. These can also cause stomach problems."

So, what could be given to children or what might be safer options? She replied, "Whole fruits are good options."