What a healthy plate looks like
The ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) describes a My Plate for the Day. Vegetables, green leafy vegetables, fruit, roots and tubers fill about half of it. The other half is mostly cereals and millets, then pulses, milk or curd, nuts and seeds, and a little oil. WHO gives much the same advice: plenty of vegetables and fruit, pulses, nuts and whole grains, and less salt, sugar and fat.
| Food group | Amount a day | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Cereals, including millets | 250 g | Rice, wheat, ragi, bajra, jowar |
| Pulses | 85 g | Dal, rajma, chana, green gram |
| Vegetables, including leafy | 400 g | Seasonal vegetables and greens, not counting potato |
| Fruit | 100 g | Fresh seasonal fruit, not juice |
| Milk or curd | 300 ml | Milk, curd, buttermilk |
| Nuts and seeds | 35 g | Peanuts, almonds, walnuts, seeds |
| Oils and fats | 27 g | Cooking oil, a little ghee |
Needs change with age, sex, body size and how active you are. Eggs, fish or meat can replace part of the pulses for people who eat them.
Cereals, millets and pulses
Rice, wheat and millets give energy, but the guidelines say they should supply no more than 45% of the day's energy. At least half of the cereals should be whole grains. Millets such as ragi, bajra and jowar can make up 30% to 40% of the cereal portion by raw weight.
Eat cereals and millets with plenty of dal or other pulses, which give good protein and fibre. About 3 parts of cereal to 1 part of pulse improves the quality of the protein in a meal. Vegetarians can meet their protein needs from pulses, beans, peas and milk or curd. Roasted or boiled chana, lobia and peanuts make good snacks.
Vegetables and fruit
Aim for at least 400 g of vegetables a day, with fresh vegetables and green leafy vegetables at every meal. Potato does not count towards this amount. Vary how you eat them: raw as salad, in curries, dry-cooked, in soups, as raita, or added to dal and rice dishes.
Take at least 30 g of fruit with each meal. Choose fresh whole fruit rather than juice. Wash vegetables and fruit well before cutting or peeling them.
Milk, nuts, oil and water
Have about 300 ml of milk, curd or buttermilk a day, and use milk that is pasteurised or boiled. Add 35 g of nuts and seeds. Cooking oil is for taste and should stay small, about 27 g a day on this plate, because nuts, seeds, pulses and grains already give fats. Use different kinds of cooking oil over time.
Drink about eight glasses of safe water a day (about two litres, counting other drinks), and more in hot weather or when you are very active. Boil water if you are unsure that it is safe. In hot weather, buttermilk, lemon water without added sugar and tender coconut water are better than soft drinks. People prone to high potassium, as in some kidney and heart diseases, should avoid tender coconut water.
Packaged and ultra-processed food
Ultra-processed foods go through heavy industrial processing and contain many additives. They are usually high in fat, sugar or salt and low in fibre and nutrients. The guidelines name sauces, mayonnaise, jams, biscuits, cakes, pastries, breakfast cereals, instant noodles, cool drinks, health drinks and packaged fruit juices. Regular eating of such foods is linked with diabetes, high and heart disease, and adding vitamins or minerals does not make them healthy.
Even home-made food can be unhealthy if it is full of oil, sugar or salt. Limit deep-fried foods such as samosa, kachori and puri, and choose carefully when you eat outside. Fresh and lightly processed foods are better: whole grains, millets, pulses, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds.
Cooking and eating at home
Do
- Put dal and vegetables on the plate at every meal
- Swap some rice or wheat for millets such as ragi, bajra or jowar
- Steam or pressure-cook instead of deep frying
- Eat more sprouted and fermented foods
- Wash your hands, and wash vegetables and fruit, before cooking
Do not
- Do not wash grains and dal again and again before cooking
- Do not wash or soak vegetables after cutting them
- Do not cook in extra water and throw it away
- Do not reheat or reuse leftover cooking oil
- Do not add baking soda to dal or vegetables, as it adds sodium like salt
When you need a different plan
This plate is for healthy people and is not a plan for any illness. Pregnancy and breastfeeding need extra food and care, and children and older people need different amounts. People trying to lose weight may cut down on cereals. If you have diabetes, kidney disease or another long-term illness, are underweight or overweight, or are pregnant, ask a doctor or dietitian how to adjust it for you.
Myths and facts
Things people often say about this. Open each one to see what is true.
Myth“Fruit juice is as good as eating the fruit.”What is true?
Fact
The guidelines say to prefer fresh whole fruit and avoid juice. Fresh juice cannot be equated to whole fruit, and packaged juices add to the sugar you take in. WHO notes that even juices without added sugar contain a lot of free sugars.
Myth“A food marked fortified or sold as a health drink is a healthy choice.”What is true?
Fact
If a food is ultra-processed, or high in fat, sugar or salt, adding vitamins or minerals does not make it wholesome. The guidelines advise fresh and lightly processed foods instead.
Myth“Vitamin and mineral tablets can make up for a poor diet.”What is true?
Fact
ICMR-NIN says no supplement can give everything that a complete plate does, and that nutrients from food are absorbed better. Routine use of some supplements can also interfere with the absorption of others.
Myth“You need protein powder to build muscle.”What is true?
Fact
The guidelines say that protein powders are not needed for a normal healthy life, and that using extra protein supplements for long periods can affect health. Pulses, milk, curd, eggs, fish or meat in the right amounts give good protein.
Common questions
Are rice and roti bad for me?
No. Cereals are the largest part of an Indian plate. The guidelines only ask that they give no more than 45% of the day's energy, that at least half be whole grains, and that dal and vegetables go with them. People trying to lose weight may cut down on cereals.
Does this plate work for vegetarians?
Yes. The plate is given in a vegetarian version, in which pulses, beans, peas and milk or curd supply the protein. People who eat eggs, fish, poultry or meat can use them for part of the pulses.
How much water should I drink?
The guidelines say about eight glasses, or about two litres, of water a day, counting other drinks. You need more in hot weather and when you are very active. Boil water if you are not sure that it is safe.
Is this plate right for children, older people or pregnancy?
The amounts are for a diet of about 2000 calories, so they are a starting point. The guidelines give separate advice for pregnancy, breastfeeding, children and older people, whose needs differ. Ask a doctor or dietitian about the right amounts for you or your child.