Printable guide
The Indian balanced plate: a practical guide
No apps, no weighing scales. Just a plate shape to aim for, built around food you already cook.
Awaiting clinical review. This guide is being reviewed by Dt. Irika Goyal and is shared as general information in the meantime.
The shape of a balanced meal
Fill half your plate with vegetables, a quarter with protein and a quarter with grains — plus a little fat for cooking and flavour. It's a practical way to follow the spirit of the ICMR–NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians: more vegetables and pulses, whole grains over refined ones, and less salt, sugar and fried food.
This is a general guide for healthy adults. Children, pregnant women, athletes and people with conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease often need something different — that's what a personal plan is for.
Portion cues, using your hand
Vegetables
About two cupped handfuls
Seasonal sabzi, salad or kachumber, vegetable raita, soup
Protein
A palm-sized portion, or a katori of dal
Dal, chana, rajma, sprouts, paneer, tofu, curd, eggs, fish, chicken
Grains
About a fist — 1–2 phulkas or a small katori of rice
Phulka, hand-pounded or brown rice, jowar, bajra or ragi rotis, poha, dalia
Fats
About a thumb — roughly a teaspoon per dish
Cooking oil, ghee, nuts, seeds, coconut
Hands are a rough guide that scales with your size. Your own needs may be higher or lower.
Easy everyday swaps
| Instead of always… | Try, some of the time… |
|---|---|
| Only white rice | Mix in hand-pounded or brown rice, or millets, a few times a week |
| Maida rotis or bread | Whole-wheat, jowar, bajra or ragi rotis |
| Plain poha or upma | Add peas, vegetables, peanuts and a side of sprouts or curd |
| Namkeen with tea | Roasted chana, makhana or a handful of peanuts |
| Packaged juice | A whole fruit and a glass of water |
Sources & further reading
Guidance on this page draws on the following. Links open external websites.
- 1.Dietary Guidelines for Indians — ICMR – National Institute of Nutrition, 2024
- 2.Healthy diet — fact sheet — World Health Organization
- 3.Eating a balanced diet — NHS
General information only, not personal medical advice. Want a plan for your own needs? See how consultations work.