Research & Practice
Beyond the Food Label: Nutrient Profiling Foods in the Indian Nutrition Data Bank for Public Nutrition Policy
The student developed What We Eat in India (WWEI), a new culturally relevant system for categorizing 1,014 cooked Indian recipes from the Indian Nutrition Data Bank. Two nutrient profiling approaches were applied and compared: the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region nutrient profile model and the Nutrient Rich Food model, including the NRF 6.3 and NRF 9.3 indices. Analysis evaluated nutrient density across WWEI food categories, the nutrients influencing WHO pass or fail outcomes, and areas of agreement and divergence between the two models. Findings demonstrated that existing nutrient profiling models provide valuable information but may not fully capture the complexity of homemade Indian composite dishes. The WWEI system offers a culturally appropriate framework that may support future nutrition research, dietary guidance, school meal planning, and public nutrition policy in India.
Project Type(s): Master's Thesis
Author(s): Greeshma Gurudatta Mallya
Program(s): Master of Science, RDN Training
Year: 2026
Adviser(s):