Rethinking the Indian plate: Why our diet needs a nutritional reset
Indians are consuming diets dominated by carbohydrates, with nearly 62% of daily calories coming from rice, wheat, and sugar, according to a new nationwide survey by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The study links this carb-heavy, protein-deficient pattern to the alarming rise in diabetes, prediabetes, and obesity across the country.
For generations, Indian households have believed that ghar ka khana — home-cooked food — is the healthiest. Yet, the findings raise a crucial question: if our traditional diet hasn’t changed drastically, why are lifestyle diseases increasing now? Our ancestors ate the same staples and stayed fit, active, and largely disease-free. So, what went wrong? We speak to experts to find out where the Indian plate lost its nutritional harmony.
The agricultural shift
Back in the 1960s, India’s Green Revolution transformed the way we grew food. To meet the nation’s urgent demand for grains, farmers adopted high-yield varieties of wheat and rice, ensuring the country became self-sufficient and no longer had to rely on imports.
“But what began as a necessity gradually became the norm,” explains Prateek Rastogi, founder of Better Nutrition, a company addressing micronutrient deficiencies in staple diets through natural, seed-and-soil-level fortification. “Over time, in the pursuit of higher profits, farmers continued the same cropping practices. The result? While we now produce enough grains to export, their nutritional quality has fallen sharply. The mineral content — zinc, iron, protein and others — has dropped by nearly 60–70%.”
According to Prateek, the solution lies in reviving nutrient-rich soil practices. “If the soil is rich, the seed absorbs more minerals, which then reach the food we eat. This is exactly what the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has been advocating,” he adds.
The rise of refined foods
Traditional cooking methods that once preserved nutrients have gradually been replaced by quicker, oil-laden, and highly processed techniques. Modern diets now rely heavily on polished grains, refined oils, and overcooked vegetables, resulting in meals with minimal fibre and reduced nutrient density.
“Carbohydrates themselves aren’t the enemy — the problem lies in their type and source,” explains Vidhi Chawla. “Earlier, carbs came from whole grains, millets, and legumes that provided fibre, vitamins, and slow-release energy. Today, they mostly come from refined flour, white rice, bakery products, and sugary snacks that rapidly spike blood glucose and increase insulin resistance. It’s the refinement and processing that strip away nutrients and fibre, turning these carbs metabolically harmful.”
Sedentary lifestyles and modern habits
“Our ancestors led physically active lives — walking long distances, working outdoors, and eating meals in rhythm with the day,” says Vidhi Chawla, dietitian. “In contrast, today’s urban lifestyle is largely sedentary, with limited physical activity, irregular meal timings, and a growing dependence on convenience foods — all of which compound the problem.”
She adds that unhealthy environments — from poor air quality to excessive carbohydrate intake, have increased the metabolic burden on the body, especially for those who spend most of their day sitting. “Add to that erratic sleep patterns and chronic stress, and you have the perfect storm for lifestyle diseases,” Vidhi notes.
The right plate
The ideal modern Indian plate, experts say, needs a major rebalancing — more protein and fibre, and fewer refined carbohydrates. Following the ‘healthy plate’ concept is a good start: half the plate should be filled with vegetables, one quarter with pulses, legumes, curd, or non-vegetarian foods, and the remaining quarter with rice or chapati.
“Vegetarians, in particular, must ensure that they include a source of protein in every meal,” advises Dr. V. Mohan, Chairperson of Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre and one of members of the researching team.
“In our study, we proposed a substitution model showing that even modest dietary shifts — replacing just 5% of energy from carbohydrates with protein from plant, dairy, egg, or fish sources — can significantly improve health outcomes,” Dr. Mohan explains. “Scientifically, the goal should be to proportionally replace carbohydrate calories with protein calories, while maintaining intact grains and balanced, traditional meal timings.”
