India, Dec. 16 -- Top expenditure decile consumes 1.5 times more protein than the poorest

Nearly half of India's at-home protein intake now comes from cereals such as rice, wheat, suji, and maida, according to a new, independent study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW). The study analyses Indian dietary trends based on the latest 2023-24 NSSO Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) dataset.

While Indians consume an adequate average of 55.6 g of protein per day at home, the study finds that cereals alone supply nearly 50 per cent of this protein despite their low-quality amino acid profile and poor digestibility. This contribution of cereals to protein intake is far above the NIN-recommended 32 per cent, crowd...