Changing Food Culture in India:
From Prestigious Staples to the Revival of Millets through Indian Knowledge Systems
Ms. Aditi Meshram
Project Co-ordinator,
National Institute of Women
Child and Youth Development (NIWCYD), Nagpur
Abstract
Food habits in India have never been static; they have evolved in response to historical, economic, and social changes. Over the last century, however, this evolution has been particularly sharp. With the influence of colonial rule, urbanization, and post-independence development policies, certain foods such as polished rice, wheat, and pulses like toor dal gradually came to be seen as symbols of social status and modern living. At the same time, indigenous coarse grains and millets were increasingly viewed as inferior or as “food of the poor,” especially in rural and tribal regions.
This paper examines how such shifts in food preferences altered India’s traditional dietary diversity and contributed to the erosion of indigenous food knowledge. It traces the gradual movement from prestige-oriented modern diets to the renewed interest in traditional millets such as kodo, kutki, jowar, and bajra. Drawing upon the Indian Knowledge System (IKS), regional food practices, contemporary nutrition science, and recent policy initiatives, the paper argues that millets represent nutritionally rich, culturally rooted, and environmentally sustainable food choices. Rather than viewing the return to millets as a step backward, the paper positions it as a meaningful integration of traditional wisdom with present-day health and sustainability concerns.
DOI link – https://doi.org/10.69758/GIMRJ/2601S01V14P004
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