Food Consumption Trends in India:Towards a Better Quality of Diet?

This study highlights four major trends in food consumption in India. First, Engel's Law has operated in all regions. Second, the share of cereals in food expenditures has decreased despite a relative cheapening of cereals. Third, the quantity of cereals consumed has declined--this decrease is more pronounced among the richer quartiles, but it is not confined to them. Finally, consumers both rich and poor--have switched away from the cheaper coarse cereals into the more expensive wheat and rice. This has translated into a more diversified diet, and indicates that consumers are making choices of quality over quantity at lower levels of income than one might expect.