Sankaran Vasudevan P, Vasudevan D M
Pathology, Govt. Medical College, Thrissur, IND.
Research, Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, Thrissur, IND.
Cureus. 2025 Aug 5;17(8):e89449. doi: 10.7759/cureus.89449. eCollection 2025 Aug.
The study was planned with the objective of developing a balanced diet menu based on Indian traditional food items, incorporating formatted fat and 50% of energy from carbohydrates, in line with general dietary recommendations. This was undertaken in the absence of any clear, viable, or India-specific menus or guidelines for constructing such a diet. The fat formatting, guided by metabolic expert recommendations and derived from routine/local foods, adds a unique aspect to the newly formulated menu.
This study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of designing a complete balanced diet of 2000 calories, providing 50% of energy from carbohydrates, using commonly consumed Indian food items. The menu also aims to balance fat intake by providing equal amounts of saturated and unsaturated fats.
The methodology involved screening 592 locally available Indian food items for their nutritional values. A sample menu table was then constructed to serve as a prototype for a balanced diet. Nutrient data were sourced from the National Institute of Nutrition (Hyderabad, India), the USDA nutritional database, and other standard references.
It was possible to formulate a balanced diet menu with mathematically derived estimates for energy contribution, fat composition, and other nutrient values. The resulting menu was deficient in only four nutrients, sodium, chloride, iodine, and fluoride, which are not expected to be adequately supplied by the chosen food items alone (e.g., sodium and chloride from table salt, iodine from iodized salt or marine foods, and fluoride from drinking water).
Although predictive, the model and its methodology provide a practical framework for designing metabolically targeted diets for various health conditions, with minimal resource waste. The included tables can also serve as tools for assessing nutritional content both before and after cooking. Importantly, the proposed menu's use of familiar and affordable food items may enhance acceptability and feasibility among Indian populations.
本研究旨在根据印度传统食物制定一份均衡饮食菜单，按照一般饮食建议，纳入格式化脂肪且50%的能量来自碳水化合物。这项研究是在没有任何明确、可行或针对印度的此类饮食菜单或指南的情况下进行的。由代谢专家建议指导并源自日常/当地食物的脂肪格式化，为新制定的菜单增添了独特之处。
本研究旨在证明使用常见的印度食物设计一份2000卡路里的完全均衡饮食的可行性，其中50%的能量来自碳水化合物。该菜单还旨在通过提供等量的饱和脂肪和不饱和脂肪来平衡脂肪摄入。
该方法包括筛选592种当地可得的印度食物的营养价值。然后构建一个示例菜单表作为均衡饮食的原型。营养数据来自印度海得拉巴国家营养研究所、美国农业部营养数据库和其他标准参考资料。
有可能制定一份均衡饮食菜单，其中能量贡献、脂肪组成和其他营养成分值通过数学推导得出。所得菜单仅缺乏四种营养素，即钠、氯、碘和氟化物，预计仅靠所选食物无法充分提供这些营养素（例如，食盐中的钠和氯、加碘盐或海产品中的碘以及饮用水中的氟化物）。
尽管具有预测性，但该模型及其方法为针对各种健康状况设计代谢靶向饮食提供了一个实用框架，资源浪费最小。所包含的表格还可作为烹饪前后评估营养成分的工具。重要的是，所提议菜单使用熟悉且价格实惠的食物可能会提高印度人群的接受度和可行性。
