Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024
Citation: ICMR-NIN Expert Committee (Revised Edition: 2024, Last edition 2011)
The dietary habits of Indians have undergone significant changes over the past few decades, leading to an increase in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases while some of the problems of undernutrition continue to haunt us.
Data from the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey 2019 (CNNS) highlights that a substantial number of children, exhibit early indications of non-communicable disease (NCD) and its related risk factors like diabetes and – hypertension.
56.4% of disease burden in India due to unhealthy diets.
These guidelines aim to provide evidence-based recommendations to help Indians make informed food choices to maintain good health and prevent malnutrition in all forms
17 DIETARY GUIDELINES: Emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention across all age groups.
- Eat a variety of foods to ensure a balanced diet
- Ensure provision of extra food and healthcare during pregnancy and lactation
- Ensure exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and continue breastfeeding till two years and beyond
- Start feeding homemade semi-solid complementary foods to the infant soon after six months of age
- Ensure adequate and appropriate diets for children and adolescents both in health and sickness
- Eat plenty of vegetables and legumes
- Use oils/fats in moderation; choose a variety of oil seeds, nuts, nutricereals and legumes to meet daily needs of fats and essential fatty acids (EFA)
- Obtain good quality proteins and essential amino acids (EAA) through appropriate combination of foods and avoid protein supplements to build muscle mass
- Adopt a healthy lifestyle to prevent abdominal obesity, overweight and overall obesity
- Be physically active and exercise regularly to maintain good health
- Restrict salt intake
- Consume safe and clean foods
- Adopt appropriate pre-cooking and cooking methods
- Drink an adequate quantity of water
- Minimize the consumption of high fat, sugar, salt (HFSS) and ultra-processed foods (UPFs)
- Include nutrient-rich foods in the diets of elderly for health and wellness
- Read information on food labels to make informed and healthy food choices
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