Telangana consuming fewer meals, but more calories

Urban Telangana recorded highest per capita calorie intake in the country in 2023-24, according to Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation data

Hyderabad: People in Telangana are eating fewer meals a month, but their daily intake of calories, proteins, and fats has increased significantly. In fact, urban Telangana recorded the highest per capita calorie intake in the country in 2023-24, according to data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

The ‘Nutritional Intake in India’ survey for 2022-23 and 2023-24 revealed that the average number of meals consumed per person over 30 days dropped from 87 to 86 in rural Telangana, and from 83 to 80 in urban areas.

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Despite the fall, Telangana remains above the national average of 78 meals in rural and 75 in urban areas for 2023-24.

Urban residents in the State consumed an average of 2,455 calories per day in 2023-24, the highest in the country. In rural areas, Telangana ranked second with 2,367 calories per person per day, just behind Bihar, which topped the list with 2,461 calories.

Protein intake also showed an upward trend. In urban Telangana, per capita daily protein consumption was 67.3 grams, compared to the national average of 63.4 grams. Rural Telangana recorded an average of 65 grams, ahead of the national rural average of 61.8 grams.

A significant portion of this protein came from meat, fish, and eggs, alongside cereals which remain the dominant protein source. In rural areas, protein from meat, fish and eggs rose from 18.7 per cent in 2022-23 to 19.8 per cent in 2023-24. In contrast, urban areas saw a slight dip — from 17.5 per cent to 17 per cent.

More than 43 per cent of the daily calorie intake in urban Telangana continues to come from cereals, especially rice.

Fat consumption also increased. Rural Telangana logged 64.1 grams of fat per day, higher than the national rural average of 60.4 grams. Urban Telangana reported 70 grams per day, again exceeding the national average.

Expenditure on food has seen a marginal rise. In 2023-24, 49.4 per cent of household spending in rural Telangana went towards food, up from 48.9 per cent the previous year. In urban areas, food accounted for 40.4 per cent of household expenditure, up from 38.8 per cent in 2022-23.