I am an ardent admirer of our union minister for Woman and Child Development. She has a mind of her own and I have seen men cringe in their seats when she gets going in her speeches. I refer to the current raging debate involving policy makers at the highest levels -- much highlighted by the media -- and sparked by her espousal of the processed food scheme for mid-day meals. The choice is between hot meals that are freshly prepared and processed and packaged foods. Like all debates between enlightened groups, both sides have substantial merit in their arguments. In general, processed food has the advantage that it comes conveniently packaged and is easy to transport, store and distribute. In addition, it can be fortified with adequate amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals. Such advantages in a country like ours are substantial where health and hygiene are easily neglected. This is one of the principal arguments against freshly cooked meals since delivery and preparation procedures are uneven and not very dependable. Also, the numerous naturally occurring and beneficial nutrients in freshly cooked food tend to get destroyed when food is processed. Processed food has to have some preservatives and chemicals added to it for stability, which can be harmful in the long run. Another important effect of processing foods is the reversal of the sodium-potassium ratio in the foods. The ratio of potassium to sodium seems to play an important role in maintaining blood pressure. Foods that do not undergo processing usually have higher potassium content and low sodium content, which is good. Potassium levels are naturally increased in the diet by consuming vegetables and fruits and this helps in the excretion of sodium from the body. In turn, the body is able to maintain blood pressure at the right levels. Incidentally, this is generally accepted as the mechanism that prevents the elevation of blood pressure levels in the vegetarian population. Whole foods being the richest source of potassium, the question is whether we are