Alarming fall in dal consumption: Study

Of the 1,800 respondents of the study, it was found that 93 per cent was unaware of ideal protein requirements, with pregnant ladies on the top at 97 per cent, followed by lactating mothers at 96 per cent and adolescents at 95 per cent. 

“Nearly, 73 per cent of Indians is protein deficient, implying that three-fourth of the people consume inadequate amounts of protein in their diet,” the study found. 

Elaborating on the find, renowned nutritionist Dr Dharini Krishnan said, “During a class I took at a college in the city recently, I learnt that not even 10 per cent of the students present consumed dal items over three times a week, as they believed that it was too heavy. Due to quick changes in lifestyle habits of the public, people prefer junk food. Also, as cooking mixed rice items consumes less time, items like lemon rice and tamarind rice are preferred more.” 

“The combination  of the foods consumed also matters, such as dal and chapatis eaten by people in the North,” she added. The study also found that while vegetarians think that their consumption of greens and other vegetables will suffice, non-vegetarians believe that the meat and egg they consume  are adequate to meet their protein needs.   

Stating that the protein requirement of an average adult per day is 1 gm per kg of the body weight, dietician Meenakshi S said, “An intake less than this will lead to difficulty in performing simple tasks and processing sensory signals by the brain. One of the key symptoms of lack of protein is weakness and fatigue.” 

She warned, “People fail to understand the importance of protein supplements in their daily diet. They tend to associate protein supplements as being ideal for body builders or malnourished people alone. It is high time they started incorporating protein rich food in their diet otherwise it can lead to serious repercussions for generations to come.”