New Delhi, June 27 -- One of the biggest nutrition myths in India is this: if the plate is full, the body must be nourished. But that is not always true.

Many Indians are eating enough calories and still falling short on protein, not always because they are eating too little, but because the quality, timing, diversity and utilization of protein in the meal plans are often poor. The National Institute of Nutrition's report, What India Eats found that the probability of protein inadequacy ranged from 36% in rural to 44% in urban populations, and even where protein intake appeared adequate in quantity, protein quality was poor across regions.

This is where the conversation needs deeper understanding. Protein deficiency is not only about st...