Overview
- The West Bengal government this week moved to replace eggs with soyabean, paneer and pulses in PM POSHAN meals where ISKCON prepares food, prompting national coverage and expert scrutiny.
- Experts note eggs deliver highly bioavailable complete protein plus vitamin B12, vitamin D, choline and iron that are hard to match with a single plant or dairy item.
- Soy is a practical vegetarian substitute because it contains all nine essential amino acids and is cheaper and more stable to procure than eggs, but it lacks several egg‑specific micronutrients.
- Specialists say simply swapping eggs for paneer or soy risks nutrient gaps for children who rely on one school meal per day and that planned fixes must include menu diversity, fortified ingredients or revised procurement.
- The debate links nutrition science and cost: policy makers face trade‑offs between budget stability, cultural preferences and the need to design school meals that meet children’s growth and brain‑development needs.