The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said in its recent report on dietary guidelines that home-cooked meals can be unhealthy if prepared with high fat, sugar or salt. The Hyderabad-based medical body has warned that foods high in fats, sugar or salt (HFSS) are detrimental to health as they are mostly calorie-dense and contain low micronutrients and fibre, can lead to conditions such as obesity, researchers mentioned in the guidelines.
“High-fat or high-sugar foods cause inflammation and affect the gut microbiota, which changes quickly with diet. This increases the risk of NCDs. Foods with high salt increase the risk of hypertension and tax the kidneys. Hence, high salt intake is unhealthy,” the report states.
The report said that consumption of sugar in quantities that contribute over 5% of total energy intake per day or 25 grams per day (based on average intake of 2000 kcal/day) is defined as high sugar. WHO is considering revising the recommendation and reducing calories from sugar to less than 5% kcal/day. Limiting sugar to 25 grams per day is better for health. ICMR says that added sugar must be completely eliminated from the diet as they have zero nutritional value. Calories are healthy when added with vitamins, minerals and fibre.
The report said that a balanced diet should provide not more than 45% calories from cereals, millets, and up to 15% of calories from pulses, beans and meat.
The guidelines said the rest of the calories should come from nuts, vegetables, fruits, and milk. Total fat intake should be less than or equal to 30% energy.
