There is also a disparity in fruits and milk in the diet of Indian people.
Apoorva Khandelwal, Fellow, CEEW, said, ‘This study exposes a hidden crisis in India’s food system, such as over-reliance on low-quality proteins, excess calorie intake from grains and oils, and under-consumption of diverse and nutrient-dense food items. A person from the poorest 10 percent households consumes only 2-3 glasses of milk and fruits equivalent to 2 bananas in a week, while a person from the richest 10 percent households consumes 8-9 glasses of milk and fruits equivalent to 8-10 bananas in a week. This difference in eating habits reflects widespread inequality in access to a balanced diet. At the same time, excessive dependence on just a few crops for nutrition and income reduces its climate adaptation. Therefore, bringing diversity from the dinner plate to the farm should be a national priority.
India’s protein intake has increased slightly in the last decade but it is substantial. According to India’s Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation, per capita daily average protein intake is expected to increase from 60.7 grams to 61.8 grams in rural areas and from 60.3 grams to 63.4 grams in urban areas between 2011-12 and 2023-24.
There is a deep gap between the rich and the poor
CEEW’s analysis shows that there is deep inequality behind these averages. The richest 10 percent of India’s population consumes 1.5 times more protein at home than the poorest, and also has greater access to animal-based protein sources. For example, milk intake among the poorest 10 percent of the rural population is just one-third of the recommended level, while among the richest it is more than 110 percent of the recommended level. A similar trend is visible for eggs, fish and meat. The poorest households meet only 38 percent of the recommended NIN level (recommended daily allowance), while the richest households meet more than 123 percent. Despite being important, pulses like pigeon pea, moong and lentils now account for just 11 per cent of India’s protein intake, much lower than the recommended 19 per cent, and their intake is also low across all states.
Indians lag far behind in coarse grains
The use of coarse grains in the plates of Indians has decreased.
India’s diet is still heavily skewed towards grains and cooking oils, both of which contribute to major nutritional imbalances. Nearly three-quarters of carbohydrates come from grains and direct grain intake is 1.5 times the recommended daily allowance, which is further bolstered by the widespread availability of subsidized rice and wheat through the public distribution system among the lowest-income 10 percent. Domestic consumption of coarse grains like jowar, millet and ragi has declined the most. Its per capita consumption has fallen by about 40 percent in the last decade. Due to this, Indians are barely able to meet 15 percent of the recommended level for millets.
Records are being broken in oil, salt and sugar
At the same time, the proportion of households consuming 1.5 times more fats and oils than the recommended level has more than doubled in the last decade. Not only this, fat intake in high income families has reached almost double that of low income groups.
There has been a slight improvement in fiber intake (food items containing fiber) in India in the last decade. This has increased from 28.4 grams per person per day to 31.5 grams, which is close to the recommended level of 32.7 grams but most of this fiber comes from cereals rather than high-fibre foods such as pulses, fruits, nuts and various vegetables. The intake of green leafy vegetables is very low in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian categories. This undermines digestive health, gut microbiota balance and prevention of chronic disease.
Indians consume about 11 grams of salt per day, which is more than double the World Health Organization’s recommended level of 5 grams. Of this salt intake, more than 7 grams comes from home-cooked food, while the rest comes from refined and served foods, reflecting an increasing reliance on convenient and packaged products.
People are eating only rice and wheat from PDS
There are many types of amino acids in pulses and rice.
Suhani Gupta, Research Analyst, CEEW, said, “Coarse cereals and pulses have better nutritional value as well as environmental benefits, but are underutilized and under-provided in key food programmes, such as the Public Distribution System (PDS), which are dominated by rice and wheat. At the same time, our study shows that high-income households consume almost twice as much fat as the poorest households, leading to a double burden of increased malnutrition. “This suggests that different measures need to be taken to address this, such as strengthening access to and demand for diverse, nutrient-rich foods, especially for low-income groups, while reducing excess consumption for wealthier groups, and reshaping the system of packaged processed foods.”
These suggestions given in the study
The CEEW study suggests that at the system level, major public food programs including PDS, PM Poshan and Saksham Anganwadis and Poshan 2.0. It is necessary to improve these, so that instead of focusing more on grains, access to coarse grains, pulses, milk, eggs, fruits and vegetables can be increased. Governments, markets and civil society will have to work together to bring about this change. This includes linking purchases to nutritious foods at the regional level, incorporating behavior change efforts in schools and community forums, encouraging private sector production of healthy foods, and using media and digital influencers to change dietary preferences. With better coordination and visibility, India can move beyond just consuming enough calories to more balanced, diverse and sustainable diets that improve long-term public health.
