RISHIKA UMESH KEDIA
Mr. Jitendra Singh Rajput
rishika_k@nid.edu
Food connects ecology, health, and culture, yet urban India faces hidden hunger: diets high in calories but low in essential micronutrients. Eco social practices are under strain soil depletion, biodiversity loss, long supply chains, and climate stress reduce nutrient density, while urban lifestyles prioritize speed, cost, and convenience over diverse, traditional foods. Research in Mumbai, Bangalore, and Delhi reveals a gap between nutritional aspirations and daily realities, showing that education alone cannot shift behavior. The project introduces a framework of complete nutrition, emphasizing both nutrient density how much nutrition a food provides relative to energy and nutrient integrity whether nutrients are preserved and bioavailable from farm to plate. The Nutrient Integrity Index (NII) traces nutrients across creation, preservation, curation, consumption, return, and renewal, highlighting hidden losses and opportunities. By integrating ecological awareness, systemic accountability, and conscious food choices, urban diets can move from degenerative to regenerative cycles, combating hidden hunger and promoting true nourishment.