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The Nutrition Awareness Index 2023 brings forth an indicator of the country’s nutritional status

The Nutrition Awareness Index is based on three important levers:

Those aware and with access to nutrient sources might not be able to afford the same. 810 million people in India are being provided food through the public distribution system.

Creating a balanced diet requires understanding of the proportions of various nutrients that need to be consumed daily. A citizen should also know the source of these nutrients.

Even if Indians are aware of their nutritional needs and sources for the nutrients, they may not always have access to these sources. The urban working class may not get enough time to prepare and eat meals and may find it easier to order in food or eat at outside eateries.

Key Findings

A balanced diet is key to good overall health, increased productivity, and protection from illness. A balanced diet should consist of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals in appropriate proportions.

Overall index of top 20 Indian States
basis their nutritional Awareness, Access-Affordability

Overall

Awareness

Access,
Affortability
Andhra Pradesh 90 85 91
Assam 105 109 104
Bihar 90 70 94
Chhattisgarh 103 72 108
Delhi 107 122 105
Gujarat 94 68 99
Haryana 99 98 99
Jharkhand 97 87 99
Karnataka 109 117 107
Kerala 103 131 98
Madhya Pradesh 102 100 102
Maharashtra 102 114 100
Odisha 97 97 97
Punjab 111 124 109
Rajasthan 92 79 95
Tamil Nadu 94 80 96
Telangana 103 91 106
Uttar Pradesh 104 116 102
Uttarakhand 106 106 105
West Bengal 97 97 97

State with the highest nutrition index score

State with the lowest nutrition index score

State with the overall nutrition index score

Experts Speak

Deepa Bhatia

General Manager, YouGov India

This Index highlights the perceptions and understanding of nutrition across various states, allowing us to identify crucial areas that require immediate attention and investment. Together, we can work towards building a healthier and more nourished India. Tailoring educational campaigns to state-specific nuances is crucial. For example, while only one-third of people in Assam identify pulses and legumes as body-building foods, over half of those in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand do so. Understanding these regional variations allows us to design more targeted approaches to increase awareness and consumption.”

Khushboo Jain Tibrewala

Nutritionist & Diabetes Educator, The Health Pantry, and supporter of the‘Right To Protein’ campaign

“The Nutrition Awareness Index 2023 signifies a significant step towards fostering a healthier and more nourished India. By identifying states with lower nutritional awareness, affordability, and accessibility, we can strategically tailor our interventions to enhance education and consumption of vital nutrients. This approach is especially crucial in addressing regional variations, such as the diverse perspectives on body-building foods.”

Jaison John

Country Team Lead – India U.S. Soybean Export Council, and supporter of the ‘Right To Protein’ campaign

“The Nutrition Awareness Index 2023 will be instrumental in shaping evidence-based policies and interventions to strengthen nutrition security in India. It serves as a compass guiding us toward a future where no one suffers from hunger or undernutrition, fostering a society where everyone has equal access to nutritious food. Through shared knowledge and collective action, we aim to empower communities and promote sustainable agricultural practices, ensuring a brighter, healthier future for generations to come. It is a collaborative effort, and we encourage all stakeholders to join hands with ‘Right To Protein’ in this endeavour."

In the News

The ‘Right To Protein’ campaign released the ‘Nutrition Awareness Index 2023′, a state-wise index assessing awareness, affordability, and accessibility of nutrition in India as perceived by end-consumers (citizens). The Nutrition Awareness Index aims to serve as an important tool to advance the vision of nutrition security in India – with regards to commitments, practices, management.

Developed by YouGov, the Nutrition Awareness Index 2023 was developed basis a survey conducted with over 2,000 representative of adult urban internet users (18 years of age and above), who can read and understand English (and primarily NCCS A), across 20 states with the highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2022, providing valuable insights into nutritional awareness and existing gaps.

The Index also found that majority Indians are unaware of vegetarian protein sources. Over 53% of young Indians (aged 18-35) find nutrition access challenging and while over 50% of them feel they eat balanced but failed to identify nutritional food sources correctly.

The Index decodes urban India’s understanding of different kinds of food groups essential to a healthy diet as explained by the National Health Portal. It aims to be a device for policymakers, investors, international and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), food and beverage industry, agriculture sector, nutritionists, healthcare practitioners, thought leaders and others to tackle growing nutrition challenges and meet our nutritional commitments.

This Index strives to improve human well-being and enhance nutrition security in India, aiding in advancing commitments, practices, and management related to nutrition and provide essential insights into the production and distribution of healthy, affordable, and accessible products that influence consumer choices and behaviours.

Nutritional challenges have never been more evident, as the COVID-19 pandemic widened inequities, and impacted malnutrition in all its forms. Despite the progress made over the years, there is an opportunity to improve and place stronger commitments to improving food systems and enabling nutrition security.

#NutritionAwarenessIndex2023

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