ICMR releases dietary recommendations for Indians

The chief of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Wednesday released dietary guidelines for Indians (DGIs) that provide evidence-based food and lifestyle related recommendations to ensure diet diversity to meet the requirements of essential nutrients and prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among people of all age groups across the country.

The guidelines recommend sourcing of macronutrients and micronutrients from a minimum of eight food groups for ‘my plate of the day’, with vegetables, fruits, green leafy vegetables, roots and tubers forming essentially half the plate of the recommended foods per day.

The other major portion is occupied by cereals and millets, followed by pulses, flesh foods, eggs, nuts, oil seeds, and milk or curd. Intake of cereals should be limited to 45% of the total energy, while for pulses, eggs and flesh foods, the total energy percentage should be around 14 to 15%; total fat intake should be less than or equal to 30% energy, while nuts, oil seeds, milk and milk products should contribute to 8-10% of total energy per day, respectively. The experts also recommend limiting added sugar, salt, and fat intake and include a variety of fruits and vegetables in daily diet, and including foods of animal origin such as milk, eggs, and meat particularly for pregnant and lactating women, children, and adolescents.

However, as per the data mentioned in the booklet, cereals contribute to 50 to 70% of total energy per day. Pulses, meat, poultry, and fish together contribute 6 to 9% of the total energy intake per day as against the recommended intake level of 14% of total energy from these foods.

The experts also advise regular exercise. “Physical activity is also essential for appropriate utilization of all nutrients from a balanced diet.”

The easily understandable and practical recommendations have been developed by country’s premier nutrition research institute, the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN), Hyderabad.

“Through the DGIs we emphasise that the most logical, sustainable, and long-term solution to all forms of malnutrition is ensuring the availability, accessibility, and affordability of nutrient-rich foods while promoting consumption of diverse foods. The guidelines contain in them scientific evidence-based information that would facilitate the attainment of the goals stated in the National Nutrition Policy. The guidelines are also consistent with the goals set in the National Policies on Agriculture and Health,” said Hemalatha R, director, ICMR-NIN, and chairperson of the expert committee that brought out these guidelines.

The guidelines comprise 17 heads as brief illustrative chapters in a book form.