Your search for perfect diet ends here!

National Institute of Nutrition has developed the ‘My Plate for the Day’ concept which will guide people towards adopting the exact proportion of diverse food groups that a typical Indian has to consume in a day

Hyderabad: If you are confused with the tsunami of dietary misinformation on social media platforms and looking for sensible and reliable advice on the ideal diet, this is where your search ends!

To inform and guide on the optimal requirement of nutrients needed for a day, the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) has developed the ‘My Plate for the Day’ concept which will guide people towards adopting the exact proportion of diverse food groups that a typical Indian has to consume in a day.

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Authored by Director, NIN, Dr R Hemalatha, ‘My Plate for the Day’ concept has been framed on the basis of ‘Dietary Guidelines’ and ‘Nutrient Requirements for Indians’ to promote healthy dietary practices. It typically illustrates the proportion of foods from diverse food groups to provide a 2,000 Kcal/day (energy/day) diet for the optimal requirement of the nutrients of Indian adults.

In a policy brief on ‘My Plate for the Day’, Dr Hemalatha suggests different food groups in the right proportions to meet the overall requirement of essential amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, proteins, vitamins and other bioactive compounds. She cautions health and diet enthusiasts on excess reliance on supplements to meet their daily nutritional needs and that no vitamin or mineral supplements will provide the adequacy of all nutrients that can be met from a balanced diet as suggested in ‘My Plate for the Day’.

“Wholesome foods are also better absorbed and more bio-available and provide unknown substances/nutrients that cannot be met from supplements/tablets/capsules/fortified foods. Also, routine consumption of certain nutrients as supplements will interfere with absorption of other nutrients,” she said.

For individuals suffering from hidden hunger, which is a severe shortage of vitamins and minerals, ‘My Plate for the Day’ will ensure adequate intake of all micronutrients, bioactive compounds, functional foods and antioxidants.