FSSAI CEO Highlights India’s Traditional Eating Habits
In modern daily routines, waking up to morning tea and breakfast, eating lunch at midday, and sitting down for dinner at night feels almost mandatory. However, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) CEO Rajit Punhani recently sparked a nation-wide conversation by stating that eating three fixed meals a day was not traditionally followed in India. During a media interaction, Punhani emphasized that ancient Indian tradition relied heavily on consuming two primary meals a day rather than adhering to rigid Western-style breakfast, lunch, and dinner schedules.
The FSSAI chief pointed out that the rise of ultra-processed packaged foods, especially those heavily marketed as quick breakfast options, has altered core dietary patterns. Promoting traditional, locally sourced, and home-cooked meals remain central to FSSAI’s vision. To reinforce this, FSSAI launched the ‘Eat Right Thali’ initiative and published a comprehensive 424-page guidebook detailing traditional, nutrient-rich thalis across 29 Indian states. The initiative encourages incorporating regional whole grains, lentils, seasonal vegetables, fruits, and fresh dairy into daily diets.
What Vedic Literature and Ancient Indian Texts Say About Meal Frequency
The concept of consuming two meals daily is deeply rooted in ancient Indian scriptures and health philosophies. In Vedic literature, texts like the Taittiriya Brahmana (1.4.9) make explicit references to consuming two meals a day, treating the intake of food as a disciplined, sacred ritual rather than continuous grazing.
Similarly, legal and social codes in the Dharmashastras and Grihyasutras—including the Gautama Dharmasutra, Baudhayana Dharmasutra, Manusmriti, Samvarta Smriti, and Khadira-Grihyasutra—prescribe two primary meals for a householder, explicitly advising against eating between these main windows. The Apastamba Dharmasutra offers slight flexibility, noting that light fresh fruits or roots could be consumed if necessary. Furthermore, in the Mahabharata’s Shanti Parva, the revered Bhishma instructs that two meals—one in the morning and one in the evening—are optimal for maintaining human health.
The foundational Ayurvedic text, Sushruta Samhita, also outlines two scheduled meals during specific periods of the day, emphasizing a lighter morning meal and an evening meal, while noting exceptions for individuals engaged in rigorous physical rituals or spiritual practices like Agnihotra.
The Significance of Gaps Between Meals in Ayurvedic Practice
Ancient Indian wellness traditions focused heavily on meal timing and metabolic digestion (Agni). The core principle was to grant the digestive system adequate time to process and fully assimilate one meal before introducing another. Ancient Ayurvedic aphorisms often note that eating once a day belongs to a Yogi (renunciate), twice a day to a Bhogi (householder enjoying health), and three times a day to a Rogi (a sick person).
While these historical proverbs reflect cultural contexts rather than absolute medical rules, the underlying emphasis on digestive resting periods aligns conceptually with modern time-restricted eating. Allowing a 4 to 6-hour gap between meals prevents metabolic overload, reduces digestive sluggishness, and maintains stable energy levels throughout the day.
How the Western Three-Meal Routine Became the Standard
If two meals were the cultural baseline in traditional India, how did three fixed meals become the universal standard? The shift largely occurred during British colonial rule and the subsequent industrialization of society.
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Colonial and Western Influence: Under British governance, European culinary traditions, including structured morning breakfast, afternoon lunch, and formal dinner, were introduced to Indian administrative, educational, and urban centers.
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Industrialization and Fixed Work Hours: The establishment of factories, offices, and rigid corporate working hours forced a clock-based lifestyle. Unlike agricultural routines tied to daylight, fixed midday lunch breaks became necessary to sustain workers through shift schedules.
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Marketing of Processed Foods: The mid-20th-century expansion of the packaged food industry heavily popularized breakfast cereals, instant oats, and snack bars, positioning morning eating as an indispensable start to the day.
Modern Scientific Perspective: Is Eating Twice a Day Right for Everyone?
While intermittent fasting and time-restricted feeding have gained massive global popularity, modern nutritional science stresses that there is no “one-size-fits-all” meal frequency.
Current medical research indicates that metabolic health depends on total caloric balance, macronutrient quality, physical activity, sleep, and blood sugar regulation rather than strictly counting meal frequency. While eating twice a day can benefit overweight individuals, sedentary office workers, or those managing insulin resistance, it may not be suitable for:
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Children and Adolescents: Growing bodies require frequent energy and nutrient inputs.
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Pregnant and Lactating Women: Higher nutritional demands require consistent, distributed meals.
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Athletes and Manual Laborers: High physical output demands regular caloric replenishment.
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Individuals with Diabetes or Specific Conditions: Fixed medication schedules often require regular food intake to prevent hypoglycemia.
Ultimately, whether you eat two or three meals a day, prioritizing whole, unprocessed foods and listening to your body’s true hunger signals remains the most scientific approach to long-term health.
