As we look ahead to 2025, dietary priorities are shifting towards a more balanced and health-conscious approach. The consumption of junk food has significantly increased in India, but in recent years, the increasing NCDs and lifestyle threats have set up a new trend of mindful eating in 2024. The latest diet trends in 2024 include shifting to plant-based diets , adding millets to the diet, a variety of soups and salads, and third-culture cuisine has gained popularity.

The diet trends keep on changing from year to year, though the basic concept revolves around the axis of “eating less." In the coming year 2025, the diet trends would be focusing more on staying healthy and attempts to focus on reversing the lifestyle noncommunicable diseases like obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. If we talk about the emerging trends in 2025, people are shifting to more health-conscious inclusions. Some of the common trends that will appear are as follows:

Protein will be in focus

According to Dr. Saurabh Pokhariyal, Chief Medical Director, VitusCare, “Protein-rich and fiber-rich diets remain central, promoting better gut health, kidney function, and overall vitality. Protein is the building block of the body. It strengthens muscles and empowers bodily functions. These shifts reflect a broader commitment to healthier lifestyles, prioritizing nutrient-dense foods that support immunity, digestion, and long-term well-being.”

Anti-Inflammatory diet

Anti-inflammatory foods help suppress cognitive decline. Dieticians and clinicians in India understand the chronic condition and severity of diabetes and thus recommend adding foods with anti-inflammatory properties, including legumes, fruits, nuts, and omega-3.



Going nuts for nuts

According to Dr. Mayanka Lodha Seth, Chief Pathologist, Redcliffe Labs, “While buying snacks, people are now more mindful about checking the nutritional facts. Makhanas are now popular as a superfood, and the market is growing by 10.39 CAGR annually. So, instead of fried snacks, roasted makhanas and nuts will be the new norm for snacking in 2025, and it will curb the risk of developing high cholesterol and diabetes and decrease the risk of diseases due to consuming packaged and fried foods.”

Herbal teas will gain popularity

Yes, spilling the tea is the latest trend. It’s not just winter; throughout the year, herbal teas have become an essential part of the daily diet, which is good for gut health and digestion. Teas will continue rising on the popularity charts in 2025.

Plant-based diet for the win

According to Dr. Deepak Chaturvedi, MD, internal medicine, diabetologist, general physician, and member of Doctube, “The inclusion of plant-based foods in the diet is in great trend right now. This will continue in the coming years too. This doesn’t mean that animal-based food products like eggs, chicken, fish, and lean meat will be completely out of the menu of the people who prefer being non-vegetarian. The protein and essential fatty acid content of animal-derived food cannot be ignored or underestimated.”

Cutting the sugar and salt

In 2025, the dietary choices of the people would be on the principle of exclusion. At this time, there is a growing emphasis on reducing sugar and sodium intake, with clean and mindful eating replacing processed and junk foods. It’s not hard now to explain to people about excluding “sugar, sweets, refined flour, and fried food” from their usual dietary regimen. Refined sugar consumption will decrease in the coming years and be replaced by healthier options like jaggery, honey, and dates. The inclusion of fruits, salads, and soups has found great acceptance, and this will keep on rising in the coming years.

The basic mantra in 2025 will remain “calorie restriction without malnutrition.” Prevention of health issues through mindful eating and annual full-body health checkups will help reduce the growing risk of NCDs in India and help make a swift move toward a healthier nation.