Like a king at breakfast, lunch, and dinner? According to a nutritionist, that is the issue.

Indians' passion for food is well-known throughout the world. But have you thought about how the same food is becoming a threat to you? We consume too many calories as a result of our obsession with "eating like a king."

The nutritionist and health coach Kamal Saini recently highlighted a trend he observes in Indian homes in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, "Most Indians eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a king, and dinner like a king." "After eating this way, how can you expect to get in shape?"

An examination of a normal Indian day through the lens of the plate

Saini dissects what many people think of as a typical day spent cooking at home. Two to three aloo parathas with tea and butter are typically served for breakfast, which comes to about 700–800 calories.

A typical lunch consists of four chapatis, some rice, dal, sabzi, and papad, which easily exceeds 800 calories. Tea, a full packet of biscuits, and namkeen are common evening snacks that add an additional 700–800 calories.

Like lunch, dinner frequently adds 800 extra calories.

600–800 extra calories are added by late-night snacking, which typically consists of savory or sweet foods consumed informally. The daily intake can amount to approximately 4,000 calories if regular indulgences like samosas, bhature, gol gappe, or chocolates are not included.

The starting point of the imbalance

Most women should consume between 1,800 and 2,200 calories per day, while most men should consume between 2,000 and 2,500 calories per day for optimal health.

This indicates that a large number of people are consuming 1,500 extra calories per day, frequently without engaging in enough physical activity to burn them off.

"Excess calories don't go away," Saini cautions. "Over time, they become stored fat."

Why is this pattern particularly dangerous?

Consuming large meals frequently throughout the day slows fat burning, overloads digestion, and maintains elevated insulin levels. This raises the risk of obesity, fatty liver, diabetes, heart disease, and joint issues over the course of months and years.

The majority of this food is viewed as "ghar ka khana," which causes people to underestimate its calorie content, which is even more worrisome.

It's about structure, not starvation.

Extreme dieting or missing meals is not the answer. It has to do with equilibrium.

Nutritionists recommend:

These adjustments, when coupled with regular exercise, can greatly enhance health without imposing severe limitations.

Even if the food is homemade, overindulging is not the foundation of longevity or fitness. The body gradually experiences more metabolic stress when you eat like a king all day long without exercising. Simply put, "If you want to live long and healthy, do something about it," says Saini. Sometimes the simplest health advice is also the most effective: eat enough, not too much.

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