by What does your thali look like? Is it loaded with fried flavors and delicious sweets? Well, according to the revised Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) diet guidelines, these foods only look good on your plate once in a while.
After a gap of 13 years, India’s apex health research body released a new set of ‘Dietary Guidelines for Indians’ (DGI) on Wednesday, keeping in mind new scientific findings, lifestyle changes, and food habits for the reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases such as obesity and diabetes.
From warning vegetarians and saying no to protein supplements, let’s take a closer look at what the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) diet recommends for India’s changing food scenario.
What should your plate look like?
According to the ICMR diet booklet, Indians are advised to derive macronutrients (fat, protein, and carbohydrate) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) from at least eight food groups from their daily meals.
Advising to limit the intake of added sugar, salt and fat, he recommended vegetables, fruit, green leafy vegetables, roots and tubers to make up about half of the daily food intake. The rest should consist of grains, millets, pulses, meat foods, eggs, nuts, oil seeds, and milk or curd.
Foods of animal origin such as milk, eggs and meat are recommended especially for pregnant and lactating women, children and teenagers.
According to current data, cereals contribute 50 to 70 percent of the total daily energy intake. ICMR recommended limiting its consumption to 45 percent. He advised increasing the intake of pulses, meat, poultry and fish up to 15 percent from the current six percent to nine percent. He added that our total fat intake should be less than or equal to 30 percent of total energy.
One of the main recommendations is to reduce the use of cooking oil and obtain essential fatty acids by adding nuts, oil seeds, milk products and seafood which should provide at least 10 percent of the total energy per day.
“Through the DGIs, we emphasize that the most logical, sustainable and long-term solution to all forms of malnutrition is to ensure the availability, accessibility and affordability of nutrient-dense foods while promoting the consumption of a variety of foods,” Hemalatha R, director. , ICMR-NIN, and the chairman of the expert committee that brought out these guidelines.
What is the advice for ultra-processed foods?
Say goodbye to chips and ice creams, because such ultra-processed foods are a big deal, according to the ICMR.
The guidelines emphasize that instant foods such as noodles, breakfast cereals, soup mixes, and cake mixes are classified as ultra-processed foods. They clarify that fortifying or fortifying these foods with nutrients are not healthy choices.
He also asked the consumers to read the food labels instead of relying solely on cost and brand names before making a purchase decision.
Eating ultra-processed food, which is not only high in fat, sugar and salt, causes conditions such as obesity, but also increases the risks of heart attack, stroke and diabetes. They are also said to accelerate the aging process, the ICMR warned in its guidelines.
“Estimates show that unhealthy diets account for 56.4 percent of the total disease burden in India. Healthy diets and physical activity can reduce a large proportion of coronary heart disease and hypertension, and prevent up to 80 percent of type 2 diabetes,” says ICMR.
The experts recommended after an exercise routine. “Physical activity is also essential to properly utilize all nutrients from a balanced diet.”
What about protein supplements?
Healthy diets and physical activity help maintain a healthy lifestyle, but for many people going to the gym has become the norm.
ICMR recommended against the use of artificial protein powders made from eggs, dairy milk, or plant sources such as soybeans, peas and rice.
“Protein powders may contain added sugars, non-caloric sweeteners, and additives such as artificial flavoring, therefore, it is not recommended for regular consumption. Proteins rich in branched chain amino acids may increase the risk of non-communicable diseases. It is therefore not advisable to consume high levels of protein,” said NIN.
Dietary protein supplementation is not associated with modest increases in muscle strength and size during prolonged resistance exercise training (RET) in healthy adults. Protein intake levels greater than 1.6g/kg body weight/day do not contribute more to gains from RET, according to research cited by The Times of India.
Why cookware is important
The ICMR also made recommendations regarding cookware that is safe to use.
The medical body has recommended the use of air fryers and granite-coated pans (without Teflon coating) for cooking.
NIN said clay pots are the safest cookware because they are environmentally friendly, require less oil, and preserve nutrition. He warned against using non-stick pans over 170 degrees and asked to throw out pans with damaged or worn coatings.
He also advised not to store acidic items and hot food in aluminum and iron containers, making an exception for brass and copper vessels. He also considered stainless steel items as safe as they do not leach.
The ICMR also debunked the myth of microwave cooking, stating that there are minimal differences in the nutritional quality of food prepared in conventional cooking compared to microwave cooking.
In addition, they have shown that microwaves retain more vitamins and minerals than any other cooking method, because there is no leaching of nutrients during the process.
Director Hemalatha R also said that “the guidelines would facilitate the achievement of the goals mentioned in the National Nutrition Policy. The guidelines are also consistent with the targets set in the National Policies for Agriculture and Health.”
With input from agencies
