Key Points:
- High Fat, Sugar, Salt Warning: ICMR’s new guidelines indicate that home-cooked meals can be unhealthy if they are high in fats, sugar, or salt.
- Health Risks: Such foods are calorie-dense but low in essential nutrients, potentially leading to obesity, anemia, and noncommunicable diseases.
- Recommended Limits: The guidelines stress limiting saturated fats, salt, and sugar to maintain a balanced diet.
Can home-cooked meals really be unhealthy?
In a recent set of 17 dietary guidelines, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) highlighted that even home-cooked meals might not always be the healthier choice if they are prepared with high levels of fats, sugar, or salt. This challenges the common belief that home-cooked food is inherently better than restaurant or fast food.
Why Are HFSS Foods Unhealthy?
High fat, sugar, or salt (HFSS) foods are often calorie-dense but lack essential micronutrients and fiber. According to ICMR, these foods can lead to several health issues:
- Obesity: Foods high in calories contribute to weight gain and obesity.
- Nutrient Deficiency: These foods deprive the body of essential macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals, leading to conditions like anemia and poor cognitive function.
- Inflammation and NCDs: High fat and sugar intake can cause inflammation and negatively affect gut health, increasing the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
How Can Home-Cooked Meals Become Unhealthy?
Even meals prepared at home can be unhealthy if they contain excessive amounts of salt, sugar, or fat. Key points from the guidelines include:
- Saturated Fats: Foods like ghee, butter, coconut oil, palm oil, and vanaspati are high in saturated fats. Consuming more than 10 grams of saturated fat per day in a 2000-kcal diet can be detrimental to health.
- Salt Intake: The daily intake of salt should not exceed 5 grams. Packaged foods and homemade items like savory snacks, namkeen, papads, and pickles often contain high amounts of salt, increasing the risk of hypertension.
- Sugar Consumption: The recommended sugar intake is less than 25 grams per day, constituting less than 5% of total daily energy intake. Excessive sugar intake can lead to various health issues, including obesity and metabolic disorders.
Conclusion
The ICMR’s new guidelines serve as a reminder that the healthiness of a meal isn’t solely determined by where it’s prepared but also by its nutritional content. To maintain a balanced diet, it’s crucial to monitor and limit the intake of high fat, sugar, and salt foods, even in home-cooked meals. Emphasizing nutrient-dense foods with adequate vitamins, minerals, and fiber is key to preventing health issues and promoting overall well-being.
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