Different Types of Staple Foods In India

The Indian landscape is deep, diverse, and riveting. And what makes it so? Its culture and its food. Beautifully diverse! And one of the many things that make it inviting is its cuisine. 

Indian cuisine is loved around the world for its sheer brilliance and diversity. It goes from the soothing sweets to the sharp spicy stuff. It has it all. But despite its culinary diversity, there are foods that Indians consume daily – their staple foods. 

Different types of staple foods fill the breakfast, lunch, and dinner tables across India. We are going to pick it all. But first, let’s start with some history.

Staple Foods in India – A Timeline

Indian cuisine has always kept on changing with changing seasons. In the Vedic times, when the focus was on spirituality, the staple food was rice and soothing lentils such as moong. Also, honey was one of the main staple foods back then. 

Later on, during the times of the Harappan and Indus Valley Civilizations, the focus grew over to other grains such as barley, corn, and millet. Surely, as the Mughals and Britishers invaded India, its cuisine saw some changes. However, the staple foods in India remained moreover the same. Even today it is the same. 

Indian Staple Foods

In India, diet changes as region and language change. Almost! This means that in Southern India, you’ll find different diets being prevalent as compared to other regions. And it’s the same throughout. Let’s have a look at which food is a staple in which part of India. 

1. Rice

Rice is the staple food of over half of the world’s population and 90% of Asians. It is known as the grain of life. 

It is an Indian favourite as well due to the ease of cooking and the energy it provides.

Rice has been there for thousands of years. One big reason behind this is its high carb content. Indian economy is largely agricultural. When farmers work on their farms, they need something that can replenish their energy levels quickly. Rice works well here. Also, it doesn’t cost much either. 

Here is a table that will give you a nice idea about the nutritional value of rice:

Rice is a favourite in most Indian states except a few northern states including Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, etc. 

One thing that makes rice so enjoyable is that it can be turned into several dishes. Step into the southern region and you’ll love the dosa, idli, paniharam, and so many other dishes cooked out of rice. 

Rice is also a natural source of antioxidants and other medicinal properties, which could be used to develop rice-based functional foods, medicines, preservatives, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetic products.

Rice bran is also rich in essential amino acids (such as tryptophan, histidine, methionine, cysteine, and arginine) and micronutrients (including magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, and B vitamins), all of which may contribute to promoting overall health.

2. Wheat

After rice, the second most consumed grain in India is wheat. In the northern Indian states, it is much preferred over rice. And so, wheat is majorly grown in those very states including Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, etc. 

Wheat is an excellent source of protein, fibre, and numerous other nutrients. It is mainly turned into flour and then that wheat flour is used to make roti, paratha, cheela, etc. The path is entirely delicious. 

Here is what you get from 100 grams of wheat:

As we see, wheat has better protein and fibre content as compared to rice. Moreover, when cooked, 100 grams of rotis provide more protein than 100 grams of cooked rice. This is because its water content goes down. 

Wheat is also cherished in other forms, such as daliya, khichdi, etc. There are many options as far as culinary creativity goes.

Wheat is considered to have a lower glycemic index compared to millets and white rice, which may be beneficial for regulating blood sugar levels. It is also high in fibre, which supports digestion and enhances feelings of fullness.

Wheat offers various medicinal benefits, the starch and gluten supply heat and energy, while the inner bran provides phosphates and essential minerals. The outer bran offers necessary roughage to aid bowel movements, while the germ contains vitamins B and E. Additionally, wheat’s protein helps in building and repairing muscle tissue.

In many states, you’ll often find people replacing wheat with other grains such as bajra, jowar, ragi, etc. This invites a bit of diversity to the table. 

3. Lentils

Now, rice and wheat are usually bland on their own, and they need some sort of spicy and powerful delicacy to accompany them. This is where lentils come in. 

Lentils are loved throughout India and are consumed massively. Dal Roti, dal rice, dal khchdi, etc., are some of the foods you will hear now and then being cooked. And do you know what makes it more interesting? The many varieties of lentils. 

Indian market is full of several types of dal. Here are a few of the most consumed:

• Moong dal
• Masoor dal
• Tuar dal
• Chana dal
• Urad dal
• Matki dal
• Kulthi dal

And then there are varieties in these too.

One major reason for this is its high protein content. Ayurveda realized the value of protein in our lives and thus introduced dal as a healthier source of it. They contain good biological value protein and are one of the best plant protein sources for vegetarians.

Not only is dal cooked like curry in India, but it is also cherished as cheela, vada, dhokla, etc. 

4. Vegetables and Fruits

Vegetables and fruits are consumed daily in India. The few exceptions are some remote and low-income areas where buying varieties becomes tough.  

Most Indian states cook one veggie along with dal daily. Some of the vegetables consumed daily include gourds(bottle, ridge, bitter snake gourds); green leafy vegetables (palak, methi, coriander, mint, drumstick leaves, moringa etc), capsicum; roots & tuber(carrot, potato, beetroot, turnip, tapioca, etc); tomato, onion, cucumber, cauliflower, etc. The key is to invite a variety of vegetables and keep the menu diverse with lots of nutrients coming in. 

It is recommended to consume a minimum of 5 servings of vegetables and 1 serving of fruit as they  contain important nutrients such as fibre, antioxidants, essential vitamins & minerals which are beneficial for the overall functioning of our body, and fibre helps in giving a feeling of satiety which helps in digestion, weight management boost immunity and beneficial for cardiac health. 

5. Dairy Products

Whenever you’ll look for staple foods in India, dairy will surely come. India is known for its high dairy consumption. Especially in the northern states, milk is considered sacred and is consumed by everyone from infancy to old age. 

India is the largest producer of milk in the world and produces 25% of world production [3]

The next country is United States. It produces less than 50% of what India does. And it’s for a reason.

Milk is consumed daily in India for three main reasons:

• It is a complete food and energy-dense 
• It is easily available and consumable
• Religious beliefs consider milk to be sacred and blessed

Here is what you can usually harness from 100ml of whole-fat buffalo milk:

The table is enough to tell why India loves milk so much. However, milk is consumed in several other forms, too. Here are a few common ones that you might find on every table every day in India:

• Curd
• Paneer
• Buttermilk or lassi
• Cream and Ghee
• Mava
• Kheer
• Shrikhand

Vedas have hundreds of laudatory mentions of milk. A mere reading of these scriptures will make you milk a cow and drink it now.

Milk is thoroughly used to make tea and coffee, which are massively consumed in India several times a day.

Dairy products contain essential nutrients for maintaining strong bones, such as calcium, protein, vitamin D, potassium, and phosphorus.

Nutrients like protein, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D play a key role in the development and maintenance of healthy bones, and milk and dairy products are excellent sources.

Additionally, curd is a great source of probiotics, which aid in improving and sustaining gut health.

The Bottom Line

Among the many things that India is known and loved for, one is its diverse food culture. Food is loved and cherished throughout India in thousands of ways. A mere walk down the market will give you a glimpse of its culinary love affair. 

However, despite having a diverse culinary culture, people consume different types of staple foods in India. Among the grains, rice and wheat take the top spot. But these are not the only grains that are consumed here. Some states also prefer jowar, bajra, ragi, etc. 

Apart from grains, Indians also consume lentils, some daily, some every alternate day. And to get their daily dose of vitamins and minerals, Indians consume a variety of vegetables and fruits. Spinach, gourd, carrot, cucumber, tomato, onion – the list is long. 

When it comes to beverages, milk is what tops the chart. It is consumed daily. This substantiates the statistic of India being the largest milk producer. From teas to curd to sweet and butter, it is dearly loved. 

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