A comparison of the Indian diet with the EAT-Lancet reference diet

Abstract

Background: The 2019 EAT-Lancet Commission report recommends healthy diets that can feed 10 billion people by 2050 from environmentally sustainable food systems. This study compares food consumption patterns in India, from different income groups, regions and sectors (rural/urban), with the EAT-Lancet reference diet and highlights the deviations. Methods: The analysis was done using data from the Consumption Expenditure Survey (CES) of a nationally representative sample of 0.102 million households from 7469 villages and 5268 urban blocks of India conducted by the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) in 2011-12. This is the most recent nationally representative data on household consumption in India. Calorie consumption (kcal/capita/day) of each food group was calculated using the quantity of consumption from the data and nutritional values of food items provided by NSSO. Diets for rural and urban, poor and rich households across different regions were compared with EAT-Lancet reference diet. Results: The average daily calorie consumption in India is below the recommended 2503 kcal/capita/day across all groups compared, except for the richest 5% of the population. Calorie share of whole grains is significantly higher than the EAT-Lancet recommendations while those of fruits, vegetables, legumes, meat, fish and eggs are significantly lower. The share of calories from protein sources is only 6-8% in India compared to 29% in the reference diet. The imbalance is highest for the households in the lowest decile of consumption expenditure, but even the richest households in India do not consume adequate amounts of fruits, vegetables and non-cereal proteins in their diets. An average Indian household consumes more calories from processed foods than fruits. Conclusions: Indian diets, across states and income groups, are unhealthy. Indians also consume excess amounts of cereals and not enough proteins, fruits, and vegetables. Importantly, unlike many countries, excess consumption of animal protein is not a problem in India. Indian policymakers need to accelerate food-system-wide efforts to make healthier and sustainable diets more affordable, accessible and acceptable.

Unraveling heterogeneity of consumers’ food choice: Implications for nutrition interventions in eastern India

“…5 ). This finding is consistent with previous studies by Panda et al (2015) and Sharma et al (2020) , that indicate that Indian diets are heavy on starch and lack intake of more nutritious food.…”

“…Table 2 reveals important heterogeneity in consumers’ physical access to various food products in both the urban and rural areas, income categories, and between the states. This heterogeneity partly explains the deficit in fruits and vegetables of eastern Indian diets ( Sharma et al, 2020 ) and may be attributed to inaccessibility of nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables by the poor ( Bhattacharya, 2013 ; Chand and Gartia, 2016 ). Availability (i.e., whether a food item is present within a physical range) is one of the key elements of the food environment where one can see the interaction of physical distance between home and place of purchase ( HLPE, 2017 ; Turner et al, 2018 ; Downs et al, 2020 ).…”

“…The country continues to suffer from malnutrition and features the highest estimated number of undernourished people in the world. Sharma et al (2020) demonstrate through a large representative sample of households how unhealthy Indian diets are and how much they differ from the planetary health diets recommended by the EAT-Lancet Commission ( Willett et al, 2019 ). Indian diets are rich in cereals, but poor in proteins, fruits, and vegetables.…”

Gut Microbial Profile Is Associated With Residential Settings and Not Nutritional Status in Adults in Karnataka, India

“…There were significant differences ( p < 0.001) in the average caloric intakes and estimated intakes of carbohydrates and proteins between undernourished and nourished individuals from both urban slum and rural settings. Based on the 24 h dietary recalls, the estimated daily intake of calories was less than the recommended daily intake ranging from 1,700 to 2,200 kcal ( 45 ). However, the intakes for carbohydrates, protein, and fats followed the recommended daily intakes of carbohydrates (200–320 g), proteins (42–59 g), and fats (25–30 g) in all groups ( 46 ) ( Table 1A ).…”

The Dietary Trend in the World particularly in China and India

“…The study observed that rural to urban migration positively associated with higher fruits and vegetable intake, and negatively associated with higher energy and fat intake. Another paper (Sharma et al 2020) that compare Indian diet with EAT-lancet reference diet, used the consumption expenditure survey conducted by NSSO in 2011-12 with a sample of 0.102 million households. The paper suggested that the average daily calorie consumption was below in India than recommended except for the richest 5% of the population.…”