Eating out and ordering in

Direct answer: ICMR-NIN advises choosing carefully when eating food prepared outside the home and avoiding deep-fried, fatty, sugary and salty foods. It notes most fast foods are freshly cooked, but items like milkshakes, chips, pizzas, burgers and fries count as HFSS or ultra-processed. Build the order around dal, vegetables and grills, and share the rest.

How do I build a better order?

Start with a dal or a vegetable dish, add roti or rice, and pick one indulgent dish to share rather than several.

What about biryani, dosa or pizza?

Enjoy them; balance the meal with a vegetable side or raita and keep the portion to one plate.

Is one heavy meal a problem?

ICMR-NIN notes average requirements need to be met over a period of time. One meal doesn't define your diet; the pattern does.

FAQ

Is a thali a good choice?

A thali with dal, vegetables and curd matches the plate model in Module 4.

What about drinks?

Swap sugary drinks for buttermilk or lemon water (Module 5).

Further reading

• My Plate for the Day, explained
• Sugary drinks and fruit juice

Sources

• ICMR-NIN Expert Committee, Dietary Guidelines for Indians-2024 (DGI 2024), nin.res.in/dietaryguidelines/pdfjs/locale/DGI_2024.pdf, fast foods, PDF p. 113 / printed p. 96; points to register, PDF p. 116 / printed p. 99; requirements met over time, PDF p. 25 / printed p. 8