HealthifyMeter: Indian Diet Patterns

In this issue of HealthifyMeter, we take a close look at the food patterns followed by Indians throughout the past year. We also see how good India’s eating habits are as the week wears on, with a small peek into how we consume protein, as a nation.

From the graph, it is clear that breakfast is the unhealthiest meal of the day for most Indians. The morning meal accounts for the highest fat consumption and the lowest protein consumption. The lowest fruit and vegetable consumption for the day is also recorded at breakfast.

The given data also shows that lunch is the most balanced among the three major meals of the day. That said, Indians do not always start their day on a healthy note but tend to pick themselves up as the day goes on.

Sunday is the unhealthiest day of the week for us Indians, with sugar and fat consumption being at its peak. The fruit and vegetable consumption peaks soon after, on Monday. Therefore, while Indians start the week eating healthy, the fat consumption towards the end of the week tends to neutralize all the good work done in the first few days.

The importance of protein cannot be stressed enough. India’s biggest source of protein is boiled egg, followed closely by chicken. Milk, tur dal, and paneer are also consumed in good amount by the people of this country.

While the Indian eating habit may improve as the day wears on, we need to focus on eating healthy right from the start of the day. That said, it was noted that Indians tend to eat unhealthy food over the weekend, making it all the more important to finish the week on a strong note.