US adopts a diet plan India has had for years: What you need to know

The United States has revised its dietary guidelines with a clear message that says, eat more protein, cut back on sugar, and move away from highly processed foods.

Announced by the Donald Trump administration, the new recommendations mark a shift in how policymakers are responding to rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and diet-related chronic illnesses.

The updated guidelines advise Americans to increase their intake of protein-rich foods while significantly reducing added sugar. Health officials backing the move argue that the typical American diet has become excessively reliant on refined carbohydrates and ultra-processed foods, contributing to insulin resistance, weight gain, and long-term metabolic disorders.

The focus on protein, experts say, is not about promoting meat-heavy diets but about restoring balance. Protein improves satiety, supports muscle mass, stabilises blood sugar levels, and helps prevent overeating, an issue central to both obesity and type 2 diabetes.

While the announcement is US-specific, the underlying problem is universal. India, too, is grappling with a paradoxical nutrition crisis where undernutrition and obesity coexist, often within the same household.

According to national surveys, a large section of Indians consumes excess carbohydrates but falls short on adequate protein intake. Cereals dominate most plates, while pulses, dairy, eggs, fish, and meat are either insufficient or irregularly consumed. This imbalance has been linked to rising rates of diabetes, fatty liver disease, sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass), and micronutrient deficiencies.

India’s own dietary blueprint, the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition’s ‘My Plate for the Day,’ mirrors many of the principles now being reinforced by the US.

The Indian plate model emphasises balanced portions, rather than calorie counting, adequate protein from diverse sources such as pulses, legumes, milk, curd, eggs, fish, and lean meat. More fruits and vegetables for fibre and micronutrients, limited sugar, salt, and ultra-processed foods. ICMR does not push a one-size-fits-all diet. Instead, it encourages regional, seasonal, and culturally appropriate foods, something global dietary advisories often struggle to accommodate.

While the US guidelines explicitly warn against excess sugar and processed foods, India’s 'My Plate' places visual emphasis on whole foods and home-cooked meals, subtly discouraging packaged snacks, sugary beverages, and refined grains.

Nutritionists in India have long pointed out that protein is the most neglected macronutrient in Indian diets, especially among women, the elderly, and children.

Unlike the West, where protein excess is sometimes a concern, India’s challenge, say experts, is protein adequacy. “In India, the problem is not excess protein but chronic protein deficiency, especially among women and older adults. Adequate protein at every meal improves blood sugar control, preserves muscle mass, and reduces the risk of diabetes-related complications,” says Dr Phulrenu Chauhan, a leading endocrinologist at Mumbai's P.D. Hinduja hospital. 

The ICMR recommends spreading protein intake across meals rather than concentrating it in one sitting.

The renewed global focus on protein offers an opportunity for India to reinforce its own guidelines, especially as urban diets become more processed and sedentary lifestyles more common.

The US dietary shift is not a radical departure; it is a late acknowledgement of principles that nutrition science, including India’s own ICMR, has been advocating for years. 

"This renewed focus on protein reflects a growing global consensus that diets overloaded with refined carbohydrates and sugar are driving metabolic disease. What matters is not extreme dieting, but restoring balance, something India’s ICMR 'My Plate' has been quietly advocating through whole foods and portion control," says an ICMR official in Delhi.