New Delhi: Dietary reforms should be treated as a public health priority and hold a prominent place in initiatives for the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCD), the Economic Survey 2025-26 tabled in the Parliament on Thursday said.

Energy drinks, nutrient drinks, stress-relief formulations and weight-loss beverages, known as health supplements or nutraceuticals, are not equivalent to clinically validated therapies, the survey said, calling for awareness among consumers so that they make an informed choice. New Delhi: Dietary reforms should be treated as a public health priority and hold a prominent place in initiatives for the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCD), the Economic Survey 2025-26 tabled in the Parliament on Thursday said.

Energy drinks, nutrient drinks, stress-relief formulations and weight-loss beverages, known as health supplements or nutraceuticals, are not equivalent to clinically validated therapies, the survey said, calling for awareness among consumers so that they make an informed choice.
“It is evident that nutrition plays a crucial role in addressing many of these concerns,” it said.

An analysis of food patterns and preferences reveals that a significant segment of the population in India consumes far more cereals than recommended, along with less protective foods such as legumes, milk, nuts, vegetables, and fruits, the survey flagged.

Stressing the need to narrow the nutritional gap, the survey said the the nutrition landscape is complex, characterised by the incidence of child malnutrition, key nutrient deficiencies in adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating mothers, and micronutrient and mineral deficiencies, especially among the vulnerable and marginalised sections of society.

Initiatives directly targeting nutrition outcomes range from the NFSA (National Food Security Act) public distribution measures, the Poshan Abhiyan for children, supplementary nutrition for adolescent girls, mid-day meals, to take-home rations for expecting and lactating mothers, both by the Union and state governments, it said.

These are complemented by initiatives focused on exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding, overall reproductive health, as well as campaigns highlighting the benefits of nutrition in school curriculums, lifestyle disease prevention, among others, the survey said.

“However, concerns continue to prevail and, in some cases, worsen,” the survey said. It underlined that there is a need to acknowledge the presence of underlying factors that affect nutrition, such as diversity and quality of food available, changing sociocultural patterns of consumption, food trends and taboos, and inadequate knowledge about nutrition.