Indian Protein Crisis: Study Reveals Half of Dietary Protein Comes from Low-Quality Cereal Sources

The study recommended reforming major public food programmes (Representational)

New Delhi:

A recent study reveals that cereals like rice, wheat, suji, and maida constitute nearly half of India's protein consumption at home, despite their suboptimal nutritional quality.

While Indians consume an average of 55.6 g of protein daily at home, which meets basic requirements, the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) research highlights concerning nutritional patterns.

Cereals provide approximately 50 percent of Indians' protein intake, despite these sources having poor amino acid profiles and reduced digestibility compared to higher-quality protein options.

The research additionally identified significant gaps in consumption patterns across essential food groups, with inadequate intake of vegetables, fruits, and pulses, alongside excessive consumption of cooking oil, salt, and sugar.

"This study spotlights a silent crisis in India's food system: over-reliance on low-quality proteins, excess calories from cereals and oils, and stark under-consumption of diverse, nutrient-rich foods," explained Apoorve Khandelwal, Fellow at CEEW.

The findings reveal stark nutritional inequality: individuals in the poorest decile consume merely 2-3 glasses of milk weekly and fruit equivalent to just two bananas, compared to 8-9 glasses of milk and 8-10 bananas for those in the wealthiest decile.

Khandelwal emphasized that these consumption disparities reflect broader inequities in accessing balanced nutrition, adding that India's dependence on a limited crop variety reduces climate resilience. "Diversification, from fork to farm, must be a national priority," she stressed.

Based on the 2023-24 NSSO Household Consumption Expenditure Survey, the analysis demonstrates that Indian diets remain heavily dominated by cereals and cooking oils, creating significant nutritional imbalances.

Nearly three-quarters of all carbohydrates come from cereals, with direct cereal consumption exceeding recommended dietary allowances by 1.5 times, reinforced by subsidized rice and wheat distribution through public systems, particularly among lower-income households.

Traditional coarse grains like jowar, bajra, and ragi have experienced a dramatic decline – almost 40 percent reduction in per capita consumption over the past decade – resulting in Indians consuming only about 15 percent of recommended levels.

Simultaneously, households consuming more than 1.5 times the recommended fat intake have more than doubled in the last decade, with higher-income households consuming nearly twice the fat of lower-income groups.

The study recommends comprehensive reforms to major public food initiatives – including the Public Distribution System, PM POSHAN, and Saksham Anganwadi & POSHAN 2.0 – to diversify beyond cereal-dominant provisions and increase access to coarse grains, pulses, milk, eggs, fruits, and vegetables.