Thalinomics To Taste Buds: How An Indian Meal Deviates From A Healthy Meal

The sumptuous and scrumptious Indian thali with rotis, rice, at least two curries, and curd is enough to get mouths watering. But it's far from what a human needs to live a healthy life, according to new recommendations by the government body ICMR.

As per its new "My Plate of The Day", the Indian medical research body recommends that vegetables, fruits, green leafy vegetables, roots, and tubers must form half of the plate per day. In reality, the average thali has 50–70% of cereals, while recommendations say cereal intake must be limited to 45%.

The average Indian meal also gets its protein—including pulses, eggs, and meat—wrong, at around 6–9%. The recommended levels are 14–15%. What Indians regularly eat is far from a healthy meal, with roti and bhaji taking precedence over the recommended vegetable–first diets for a healthy body.

"In fact, most Indian families consume only a few tablespoons of cooked vegetables per meal. That too, most of them overcook vegetables; do not blanch greens," said Dr Kinjal Upadhyay, a nutritionist from Mumbai.

The salad portion of an Indian thali, like the bhaji or subji, is also eaten as an accompaniment, unlike in Continental meals, where salads make up a course within the meal.

Vegetable consumption in India is low in quantity as well as variety, according to experts. Add in modern eating lifestyles, and vegetable and fruit consumption goes down even lower. 

"The positive side of an Indian diet is that cooked vegetables follow vegetable guidelines. However, given the modern lifestyle, most people have the tendency to consume fewer vegetables. Ideally, a healthy diet comprises equal portions—50% vegetables and on a plate. The other concerning fact is the inadequate consumption of vegetables based on variety,” said Deepak Pal, sports and functional nutritionist at SENS Clinic.

What is the health impact of a grain-heavy meal? Experts say a lot. For one, it misses out on a lot of vitamins and minerals. “Indian meals, which are typically consumed, also lack fibre, which affects the gut health of Indians,” said Dr Upadhyay. 

Foods like whole grains, pulses, beans, nuts, fruits, and vegetables are high in micronutrients. The intake of refined cereals like polished rice and refined wheat flours is high in a large section of the Indian population, according to the ICMR. 

“A steady increase in intake of unhealthy foods amongst people complicates things further. As a result, a majority of the population, including children, suffers from malnutrition and its adverse health outcomes,” ICMR said in its report.

A few experts believe that the lack of nutrients in an Indian meal is a function of affordability as much as a choice that gravitates towards taste and other factors. “In a typical family of five, it’s not financially possible for many people to afford a large chunk of vegetables in their diet,” said Dr Upadhyay. 

In fact, protein consumption also suffers due to unaffordability, and most people supplant it by increasing their consumption of cereals. “Due to the limited availability and high cost of pulses and meat, a significant proportion of the Indian population relies heavily on cereals, resulting in poor intake of essential macronutrients (essential amino acids and essential fatty acids). Low intake of essential nutrients can disrupt metabolism and increase the risk of insulin resistance and associated disorders from a young age,” it added. 

In recent years, inflation has eaten into household budgets, changing the thali constructs. As per a recent report by Crisil, the cost of a home-cooked vegetarian thali that includes roti, onion, potato, tomato, rice, daal, and curd has gone up by 8% in April, as compared with what it was a year ago. Particularly, the prices of pulses inflated by 20% YoY, making an average meal’s daal even more watery. 

Religion, tradition, and financial condition guide Indians' food choices. The final roadblock to gaining health via nutritious plates is their extreme tendency to tingle their taste buds. 

In a nation-wide survey conducted by Assocham of 5,000 respondents, 91% said that they are aware of the health impact of excess consumption of sugar, salt, and fat. However, few would bother to ensure that their knowledge improves foods.

“Despite understanding the health aspects of food, nearly half, i.e., 46% of the respondents, said that they would not shift to a healthier alternative if the food of their choice was given a low health rating. This finding seems to suggest that a large number of Indian consumers are significantly influenced by food choices, even though they consider themselves aware of the health aspect of food,” said the Assocham report, titled Indian Cuisine at Crossroads. 

Nutritionists and doctors, too, say that Indians do not make healthier meal choices, even when it's affordable to eat a veg-laden, protein-heavy meal. “It’s financially possible to follow the guidelines by ICMR as most food is locally available in every part of India. What is needed is a willingness and awareness towards a healthier lifestyle, which has taken a beating in the face of daily life challenges,” said Pal.

ICMR, too, admits in its recommendations that the transition from current eating habits to 'My Plate' requires adaptation to social, economic, agricultural, and environmental conditions. Foremost, however, it needs Indians to fix the plate with health in mind as opposed to taste, which is a mammoth task for a populace that’s spoiled with food choices. 

Katya Naidu is a senior business journalist who writes about equity markets, startups, energy, infrastructure, real estate and healthcare.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of NDTV Profit or its editorial team.