India’s online food ordering company Swiggy took to platform X on January 30, sharing a photo of comfort thali. The restaurant aggregator called it the “national lunch”. So far, so good? Swiggy’s playful
social media update, meant to induce hunger pangs among desis, ended up leaving a bad taste in the mouths of those who came across it. As of now, the “controversial” post has been viewed nearly 2 million times, and the quote tweets only seemed to rise by the minute. Such was the online noise that the Swiggy post even secured a spot on X’s Trending page on Sunday morning.
So what exactly went wrong?
“National Lunch”
On Friday afternoon, Swiggy’s social media team shared a photo of a plate of food. The contents of the thali were comforting and familiar, or that is what Swiggy had assumed.
The plate consisted of overflowing dal, chawal, raw onions, chilli, and topped with aloo bhujiya. Along with the thali, Swiggy also had a suggestion: To have it declared as
“isko national lunch ghoshit kar dena chahiye,” Swiggy captioned the now-viral post.
isko national lunch ghoshit kar dena chahiye 🤌 pic.twitter.com/OMNg4f3dWr
— Swiggy (@Swiggy) January 30, 2026
Swiggy was perhaps unprepared for what was to come next.
“Delete Swiggy”
An X user, Dr. Anshul Sadhale (@AnshulGains), slammed the company for the post.
“Most Indians will gain muscle and lose belly fat when they eat home cooked high protein meals,” Sadhale wrote.
Most Indians will gain muscle and lose belly fat when they eat home cooked high protein meals. https://t.co/BR40brUmRm pic.twitter.com/Qsu9Y0gaSS
— Dr. Anshul Sadhale (@AnshulGains) January 31, 2026
“How Will India Win Olympic Medals?”
Another X user (@TheERDoctor) flagged Swiggy’s light-hearted post for “imposing” vegetarianism.
“And you wonder why India is terrible at any kind of globally recognised physical sporting events. Before you cry for more Olympic medals, consider changing this attitude first. A balanced meal with all proteins, minerals and vitamins are essential. Imposing vegetarianism halts that (sic).”
“And you wonder why India is terrible at any kind of globally recognised physical sporting events,” another chimed in.
“Lots of carbohydrates, then some more carbohydrates, then some complex carbohydrates & some flavouring agents,” a third commented.
Rage Bait Content?
A section of users also noticed an apparent pattern in Swiggy’s social media content and called it out as repetitive “rage bait,” purportedly meant to ruffle feathers and increase online engagement.
“Swiggy SM team have used this template to call a dish, national food to rage-bait ppl and farm engagement. But why all such dishes are North Indian veg high carb dishes? Only exception I see is pazhampori post but that’s veg too also look at that pic, that ain’t pazhampori dawg (sic).”
Poverty porn by Swiggy.
Glorifying a 0 protein, 0 nutrition value lunch just for some likes on social media.
Owners of Swiggy will not even touch something like this. https://t.co/sSkgDk0HNR
— Roshan Rai (@RoshanKrRaii) February 1, 2026
Also Read: Pizza Delivery Boy Reel Is Fake: What Is Rage Bait Content And Why Internet Is Done With It
While some offered suggestions and dietary tweaks to Swiggy’s thali.
Pura India Eastern UP ya Bihar thodi hai bhau.
4 boiled eggs ho sath mein aalu ki jagah to bhi kaam ban jaega.
Pyaaz to theek se kaat, neeche chikkal bacha hua hai. https://t.co/fBi2n7hnkk— Tushar Singh Rawat (@singhrawattush) February 1, 2026
“Adore The Thali”
Those who consumed the vegetarian meal found comfort in Swiggy’s post.
I will get hate for it but i absolutely adore this food https://t.co/ujoi5TS5BB
— Ankit M (Currently Inactive) (@AnkitM997) January 31, 2026
“Tell Me, Grok”
An X user, seemingly exhausted and possibly annoyed by the “needless” outrage, asked Elon Musk’s AI bot to mention the specifics on the plate and state the estimated nutritional value of the meal.
“The meal appears to be dal chawal with aloo fry (lentils, rice, fried potatoes, onion, chili). Estimated nutrition (approximate portions): ~125g carbs, ~23g protein. Carb-to-protein ratio: about 5.4:1. It’s nutritious with protein from dal and carbs from rice/potatoes, but fried elements add fats. Healthy daily if balanced with veggies/fruits for vitamins; vary to avoid monotony. Consult a nutritionist for personalized advice,” Grok responded.
Note: This story is not intended as nutritional or dietary advice. Kindly consult a qualified dietician for your personalised diet and nutrition needs.
