"According to a 2018 survey released by the registrar general of India, Rajasthan (74.9%), Haryana (69.25%), Punjab (66.75%), and Gujarat (60.95%) have the highest percentage of vegetarians, followed by Madhya Pradesh (50.6%), Uttar Pradesh (47.1%), Maharashtra (40.2%), Delhi (39.5%), Uttarakhand (27.35%), Karnataka (21.1%), Assam (20.6%), Chhattisgarh (17.95%), Bihar (7.55%), Jharkhand (3.25%), Kerala (3.0%), Odisha (2.65%), Tamil Nadu (2.35%), Andhra Pradesh (1.75%), West Bengal (1.4%), and Telangana (1.3%)."

"The rate of consumption of fruit and vegetables is low in India; this is contrary to the perception that Indians, being predominantly vegetarians, would consume adequate quantities of fruit and vegetables."

"Even in the 2 most economically prosperous states, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, the WHO-recommended consumption of >5 fruits and vegetables daily is only observed among 24% and 1% of people, respectively.[57]"

"The National Family Health Survey-3 (NFHS-3), a large nationally representative cross-sectional survey covering 156 316 individuals in India with self-reported data on consumption of fruit and vegetables, reported that half of the population in its survey consumed zero or only 1 serving of fruit in a week.[48]"

"The NFHS-3 also reported a social gradient in weekly consumption of fruit, with individuals in the lowest socioeconomic strata consuming a very low quantity of fruit. This is potentially explained by the high cost of fresh fruit and vegetables.[55]" "In addition, the vegetables that are consumed are often overcooked in Indian meals, leading to vital loss of micronutrients.[56]"