Jamshedpur, Dec. 29: Gone are the days of biryani, kebabs and north Indian food from the menu of Tata Football Academy cadets.

Western fare ? pasta, spaghetti and baked beans ? comprise the new diet chart for the budding footballers.

TFA sources said it took little time to chart out new food choices for the cadets, who had become more accustomed to Indian cuisine.

The chef of the academy has been issued instructions to focus on baked and roasted items. The sources said the new diet chart for the cadets has been prepared in consultation with a dietician and a nutritionist. ?Western fares carry more fibre, which will help cadets maintain a healthy diet. Most of them have started relishing it after, of course, initial complaints,? they added.

TFA chief Satish Pillai said they had been planning to introduce Western food at the academy for quite some time now. ?It is better to make the cadets habituated with western food as most of them represent the country for soccer tournaments abroad. The cadets of our academy have been more accustomed to Indian dishes,? he added. Most of the cadets had come across problems when they were served Western dishes during the TFA?s training stint in Germany, sources added. ?Problems had to arise since the cadets were not habituated with continental food. But now that problem will be a thing of the past,? they said.

The proposed western spread consists of pasta, spaghetti, stew, spaghetti bolognese, baked buns (stuffed with shredded lamb and chicken), Spanish omelette, soup and other dishes. Apart from this menu, maximum emphasis has also been given on less oily dishes. ?For now we are serving the new dishes for dinner. But we will add items for lunch later,? the sources said, adding the food is prepared by experienced chefs at the academy?s kitchen.

?Earlier, cadets were being served Indian fare for a number of years. Though we were experimenting with the menu but western cuisine was never adopted at the TFA,? an official added. So for now it?s bye bye to biryani, chapatis, chicken and mutton curries, and green vegetables, as cadets embark on a new culinary experience.