No single food, not even eggs, is enough for children’s nutrition: NIN Director

No single food — not even eggs — can be considered a nutritional silver bullet for children, according to National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) Director Bharati Kulkarni. The real priority is to ensure that school-going children consume diverse, balanced diets that provide adequate energy, protein, vitamins and minerals, rather than reducing the nutrition debate to whether one food should replace another.

The message comes at a time when India is striving to eliminate hunger by 2030 while simultaneously battling a complex nutritional landscape marked by persistent undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and rising childhood obesity. In an email interview with The Indian Express, Kulkarni explains why nutrition security must go beyond food security, what an ideal school-age diet should look like, and why the quality and diversity of meals matter far more than the inclusion or exclusion of any single ingredient.

How important is balanced nutrition for children in the school-going age?

Adequate nutrition during school-going years (six to 18) is critical because this is a period of rapid physical growth, brain development, immunity building, cognitive and behavioural development. Nutrition during these years influences not only height and weight gain, but also cognitive abilities, attention span, learning outcomes and academic performance. This is also a period to lay strong foundation for long-term health.

Indian children have been grappling with stunting, wasting and underweight for long. What is the lasting solution in terms of nutrition to improve these indicators?

Childhood stunting, wasting, and underweight are multifactorial and cannot be addressed by any single food or intervention. Long-term improvement requires a life-course approach involving: Adequate maternal nutrition before and during pregnancy, early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding, appropriate complementary feeding after six months of age, age-appropriate balanced diets during childhood and adolescence. This should be teamed up with improved sanitation, hygiene, and safe drinking water, prevention and timely treatment of infections.

What is the best diet plan for school children?

Rather than focusing on a rigid single diet plan, school children should consume a balanced and diverse diet from multiple food groups.

As per Dietary Guidelines for Indians, a healthy daily diet should include:

Cereals/millets and other staples for energy (~45–50% of total energy)

Pulses/legumes, dairy, eggs, fish/meat, nuts/seeds for protein (~10–15% total energy intake)

Healthy fats/oils (~20–30% of total energy intake)

Vegetables and fruits for vitamins, minerals, and fibre

Adequate water

One should avoid foods high in added sugars, fat and salt (HFSS) and also the Ultra-processed foods

School meals are usually planned to contribute meaningfully toward at least one third of daily energy, protein and other important nutrient requirements while including protective foods such as pulses, vegetables, and fruit whenever feasible.

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Why is protein important for growing children?

Protein is essential for growth of muscles, bones, and tissues, production of enzymes and hormones, immune function, repair and maintenance of body tissues, brain development and neurotransmitter synthesis. Children require quality protein not only for maintenance but also for growth, therefore, making adequate intake especially important during childhood and adolescence.

NIN has consistently maintained that egg is important in a balanced diet. NIN has even said that “egg is a complete food for children.” Why?

Egg is often described as a nutrient-dense food because it provides quality protein containing several essential amino acids, vitamins such as B12, A, D, and folate and certain minerals such as iron. Because of its nutrient density, digestibility, affordability, and often convenience, egg can be a valuable component of a balanced diet for children. It is one useful option among several nutritious foods and can add to diversity of diets

Can plant protein replace eggs in a balanced diet?

Plant proteins can contribute significantly to protein needs and, when properly combined from multiple sources, can support a balanced diet. Many individual plant protein sources may have lower digestibility or relatively lower levels of certain essential amino acids. Adding diverse plant foods such as pulses or legumes to cereals in the diet helps improve protein quality. It is important to focus on the overall diet diversity rather than seeing a single food as a replacement to the other.

What are the vegetarian equivalents for eggs and in what measure should they be consumed?

It may not be appropriate to look for equivalence of nutrient quality of two different foods. Vegetarian protein sources include pulses and legumes (dal, rajma, chana, lobia); soy products (soybean, tofu); milk and dairy (milk, curd, paneer are largely accepted as vegetarian sources in our country); groundnuts, some nuts and seeds.

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As already mentioned, there is no exact one-to-one “replacement” because foods differ in nutrient composition and bioavailability. Instead, the emphasis should be on combining multiple protein-rich foods across the day.

Soy is considered to be an allergen and processed food. Can it really replace eggs?

Soy is a well-recognised plant protein source with relatively high protein quality compared to many other plant foods. It is important to note a few points. Soy allergy exists but affects only a small subset of individuals. Not all soy foods are highly processed; minimally processed forms such as whole soybean, tofu, and soy flour are commonly consumed. Soy allergy is caused by specific soy proteins (such as Gly m 4, Gly m 5, and Gly m 6) that may trigger immune reactions in susceptible individuals. However, clinically significant soy allergy is relatively uncommon.

Processing can improve soy’s nutritional quality. Heat treatment, soaking, cooking, and fermentation help reduce allergenicity to some extent and also lower anti-nutritional factors like trypsin inhibitors, and can also improve digestibility and absorption.

Soy, like other legumes, can be part of a diverse vegetarian diet including different food groups.

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How easy or difficult is it to get the right measure of protein from plant protein?

It is possible but it requires proper dietary planning to achieve complementary protein combinations through diverse foods. Traditional Indian diets often demonstrate useful combinations like Khichdi, Rice + Rajma, roti and chana, idli/dosa + sambar which can improve overall protein quality.

Should eggs be included in mid-day meals?

School meals should aim to provide safe, acceptable, affordable and nutrient-dense foods that improve diet quality. ICMR-NIN recommends nutrient requirements and the Central government notifies them. Implementation of the programme is a state subject and states implement the programmes based on local considerations. As mentioned above, egg is one of the nutrient-rich options because of its high-quality protein, fatty acid and micronutrient content. At the same time, other combinations of protein-rich foods can also meet the nutritional requirements in combination with other diverse foods.

Should milk, which is prone to adulteration and dilution, be introduced if eggs are not included?

Milk is a valuable source of protein, calcium and several micronutrients, especially for growing children. The nutritional value of milk depends on quality and safety. Therefore, if milk is included in any feeding programme, ensuring quality assurance, food safety standards, and reliable supply chains is essential.