When it comes to our precious little ones, We as parents do not wish to compromise on anything. Food is an area of the biggest concern. This Indian diet plan for toddlers (1 to 3 years of age) will help you in decoding most of the questions that might cloud your mind and hearts. What food to feed? How much food to give at one time? When to stop? How to be sure that your kid is not allergic to the food you are giving him ? and more such questions that cross your mind will all be answered below in this article about the Indian diet plan for toddlers.
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“Bablu makes a bad face and takes his face away when I try to push a lump of rice down his throat”. “Pinky makes me run around the house at mealtimes”. “Tabbu picks up foods from his plate and throws it on me”. “Guddi is not growing well and she appears quite thin and weak compared to girls of her age”. “I wish my baby could put on a little more weight by now”. These are the complaints that we hear from most Indian moms.
We often forget that toddlers do not have that much of consciousness to think “healthy” and all that they need is variety. Give your toddler variety in terms of colors, shape, size, and taste and he/ she will make mealtimes enjoyable for both you and him/her.
Importance of Number of Meals :
When your child turns 1, you can give him anything except spicy, salty, and deep-fried foods. And secondly, you need to remember that your toddler needs little amounts of a variety of “interesting” foods to be given to him at various times of the day. So it is not a good idea to stuff him/her with food as a one-time option. When it comes to Kids, you should not follow the 3 meal patterns like us adults.
He/she is most likely to reject this option and stay hungry. A toddler has very little stomach capacity and he/ she cannot take 3 big meals a day. He/ she will typically need 6 small meals a day to fulfill his/ her body’s energy requirements. The best part about feeding your kid frequently is that you don’t need to worry much about his quantity of intake. Even if the kid eats 3-4 biscuits, he will be good for the next 1-2 hours… A little effort from your side will help him/her stay satiated and disturb you less during meal times.
Did You know –
We know that planning a menu for these little brats is difficult. Especially when they are to be fed with a time interval of every 2-3 hours and they demand variety. Here we present an interesting Indian diet plan for toddlers that will help you become a smart mommy instantly. But before we move on to the actual diet plan, here are some basic thumb rules you need to understand as a mother. The basic rules of food planning. Which foods to select and on what basis. After all its about meeting your toddler’s nutritional need to make him physically and mentally strong and compatible with the world outside.
Menu planning for Diet of Indian Toddlers :
In the above-given chart, the outer 6 boxes represent the different food groups. This chart will help you in planning your own menu based on your convenience and timing for your baby. follow the following tips for planning a healthy menu for your toddler.
Add 1 item from each food group:
The trick is to simply add at least 1 item from each group throughout the day. Of course, you can use a particular group more than 2 times too. However, in order to maintain variety in terms of taste and nutrition, its important to plan from each group. Ex – you can plan for rice in the afternoon and oats in the evening menu. both the items belong to the cereal group and are equally healthy.
Variety in terms of taste:
Make your choices of food from the given food group more interesting for the kid. Ex – instead of feeding your baby with rice and milk every day, introduce variety. Plan for rice and curd, or lightly lemon flavored rice, mix rice with mung dal from pulses group to add protein and variety to your kid’s menu.
Mixing of 2 Food groups:
After your kid turns 15 – 16 months old, you can mix up 2 or more food groups together. Ex – Oats porridge with apple. Here Oats cover the cereal group, Milk will cover up for protein and apple will cover the fruits group. some kids with good digestibility can tolerate the mixed groups’ concept right from 12 months onwards.
Cereal Group:
This group includes cereals like Rawa (semolina), Ragi, Rice, Oats, wheat and its products like brown bread, wheat-based biscuits. These cereals are easy to digest. Initially, its best to grind the food product, or mash it well to avoid choking. some kids take time to learn to chew.
Milk and Milk Products Group:
As the name suggests this group includes all varieties with milk. Cows milk has the best digestibility. Hence it is preferable to give you kids cow’s milk. You can later introduce him with milk products like cheese, curd, buttermilk, and paneer. Cheese on brown bread is a good snacking option for your 2+ years old toddler. They relish it.
Non – Vegetarian Protein Group:
This group includes chicken, eggs, and fish. I would really recommend you to start your kid a little late with fish. Maybe after he is 2 +. This will ensure his digestion capacity. It is not that kids do not eat fish before this age. There are individual differences and food preferences. All you need to do is ensure your kids’ digestion capacity and allergic reactions to these foods.
Dals And Pulses Group:
Start with easily digestible dals like mung dal. once they are tolerated well by the kid, you can then move forward to slowly introduce her with all the other varieties of dals, and pulses. make sure the first time you try any new pulse, it should be diluted enough. If your baby has any sign of intolerance towards these foods, like change in color of stool, hard stool or watery stool or gases or stomach ache after the intake, reintroduce the food after a week in a diluted form
Fruits and vegetables:
The fruits and vegetables that are mentioned under the groups in the above infographic diagram, can be used in any form. you can mash the fruits, make juice out of it, pressure cook the fruit for 1 whistle and then mash it (apple). or you can hand over them as slices to your kids. So they also learn to eat on their own. you can use vegetables in soup forms or cooked vegetable form, just the way you consume it at home. make sure you add little or no spices to the preparation. You can introduce the spices and masala for the baby after she is 2.5 + years of age.
Fats and Sugars:
This group is placed in the center on purpose. although you need to use a very little amount of fats and sugar for your toddler, please do not ignore this group. Your baby really needs good fats for better digestion. don’t forget that these little ones also require tasty foods just like us. you can add sugar or jaggery to their food preparations.
Note :
Indian Diet Plan For Toddlers :
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Here is an Indian Diet plan for toddlers for your reference.
| Time | Menu |
|---|---|
| 7.00 AM (After waking up ) | 1 glass milk + 4 soaked almonds |
| 9.00 AM Breakfast | Choose any 1 from the below-mentioned options
|
| 11.00 AM | 2-4 slices of apple / orange / watermelon /musk melon / pomegranate / Papaya / 2 wheat-based biscuits / ragi flakes (handful) (any seasonal fruit) |
| 1.00 PM Lunch | Choose any 1 from the below-mentioned options
|
| 2.30 PM | Buttermilk (optional ) / Ragi kanji |
| 4.00 PM | Choose any 1 from the below-mentioned options
|
| 6.00 PM | Spinach Soup / Carrot soup / Tomato soup / Mix Vegetable Soup / Corn soup (grind corn kernel in a mixer) / Fruit juice during warm climate |
| 8.00 PM Dinner | Choose any suitable option from Breakfast or Lunch Menu |
| 10.00 PM Bedtime | 1 glass Milk + 4 Soaked Almonds |
Note:
Important Tips to consider while following this Indian diet plan for toddlers
• Milk Intake :
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Give your toddler the regular milk when he wakes up in the morning. Give him 100 to 200 ml of milk in the morning and in case he/she is allergic to milk and milk products, you can replace milk with whole fruit, almond milk, or soya milk. If your child has crossed 2 years of age, you may consider adding health drinks such as Pediasure to his milk. Make sure to give your toddler full cream milk and he/ she requires milk energy to support his body’s functions and to grow into a powerful adult with time. In the evening, give your toddler 100-50 ml of milk depending on his preference. Yes, do value his preference as many toddlers simply hate the taste of milk. You can’t help as I’m sure many of you also hated milk in your childhood. Use your imaginations, make them tasty smoothies or milkshakes
• Water Intake:
A toddler’s daily water intake may typically consist of at least 5 glasses of water. This includes the juices, milk, and other fluids that your toddler consumes throughout the day.
• Bread:
Make sure you give your toddler wholewheat or brown bread or bread that is fortified with vitamins and minerals.
• Fruits And Vegetables:
You may opt for cooked or pureed food. Cooked or pureed vegetables with bland flavors are the best options for toddlers. These may include vegetables such as pumpkin, potato, sweet potato, squash, carrots, and butternut. Try with mashed food items. It’s better to feed your toddler steamed vegetables and pulses
• Homemade Food:
Today’s nuclear family setups coupled with an increase in the opportunities for women employment, the time has become a scarce resource for today’s families. It is always better to avoid tinned and packaged foods as they contain preservatives that may be detrimental to your child’s health. Make sure you invest some time to secure your child’s health and prepare meals at home. We are sure that love will help you find that time!
• Oatmeal Cereals:
It is a good idea to help your child build healthy eating habits at a very young age. You may introduce oatmeal cereals at a very early stage as they are healthy breakfast options and your child is most likely to develop an acceptance for oatmeal cereals as well as other complex carbohydrates.
• Portion Intake:
1 tablespoon of each food: The Rule of Thumb. At one time, a one-year-old child should be fed 1 tbsp of cooked cereal, pureed fruit, pureed cereal, cooked meat, cooked vegetable, one egg, and a ½ cup of milk and dairy products. On a similar line, a 2-year old child should be given 2 tablespoons of different foods at a time. And as you can already guess, 3 tablespoons of different foods at a time constitute the perfect dietary portions for a 3-year old child.
• Nutritious Snacks:
Your kid will eat when he/she is hungry and will stop when he/ she feels full. Sometimes, you may consider providing nutritious snacks to your kid. This does not mean that you have to put a lot of extra effort into preparing healthy snacks as a lot of healthy yet no-hassle snacks are available in the market. Prepare some finger-friendly, bite-size foods and your toddler will take the responsibility of feeding himself/ herself:
• Thinly-sliced fresh fruit
• Low-sugar breakfast cereals
• Mini muffins with whole-grain crackers
• Shredded cheese
• 2-4 ounces of pure fruit juice, with one part juice being mixed with two parts of water.
• Tart with pureed or strained vegetables such as green beans, squash, or carrots.
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You can find some amazing recipes for your kid’s meal here at our Healthy recipe section.
Some Common Mistakes that You Should Avoid:
• Making your child drink more than 16-24 ounces of milk per day.
• Forcing them to eat when they are not hungry.
• Allowing your child to eat sugary snacks
EndNote :
Don’t get into a habit of worrying about your kid’s food. The only thing that you should observe is whether your child is gaining weight with time and whether he is remaining active throughout the day. Too many restrictions in his/ her diet or too much of a ‘çarefree’ attitude may actually harm your child’s health. Refer to this Indian diet plan for toddlers and enjoy your child’s mealtimes, be a little creative, and allow him to enjoy his/ her creative side as well. Who knows? Your child may grow up to suggest your meal plans one day!
Indian Version of Atkins Diet (High Protein Diet)
My baby is 2.6 years old & only 9.4 kg, she does not gain weight. Sometimes fussy but most of the time asks for more. I give her Protinex ( Milk) in the morning, ragi, rice, roti, bread, upma.etc. We are vegetarians & do not eat eggs, pls suggest something for her weight gain & also for height gain. I am not sure if her height is good. Also she gets cold & cough ( chest congestion) very often. Is that the reason for not gaining weight? Will be sending her to playschool from April. Pls help.
Hi aparna ,
you can change the protein x with pedia sure. this has good quality protein and helps in weight gain . the foods you mentioned are all complex carb and good nutrition . so that is great . i feel you should include some fruits and veggies to this diet too . this will increase her disease fighting ability and immunity. does she have constipation ? is she active ?
My Son is 19months old and weighs 10kg. Doctor says is less weight. He is very active and does not even sit for few mins. Sleeps only for 10-11 hours the whole day. He was 10.4 kg last week but since his cuspid tooth is erupting did not eat well and lost and is now 10kg.
We still grind the food and feed him as he does not like to eat rice as it is and if eats spills most of his food. So worried. Should I give him Avacados?
Hi Angel ,
Yes you can give him avacados and other fruits mentioned abpove . dont wporry about the churning of foods , many babies develop habits of chewing and eating solids by themselves a little late , as long as you are feeding him , the consistency soes not matter . and i will tell you to not worry , if he is meeting all the milestones in correct time and is active , you dont need to worry . The weight also depends on body type . not all kids are same. But if he becomes sluggish , inactive and dull, then ofcourse it is a matter of concern.
hello mam…. my 2.5yr boy very fussy eater… he dont want to eat chapati and and any vegetable…only he eat yoghurt banana nd papaya … m so much worried about it what can i do ???
Hello ma’am,my son is 3.6 yrs old,his weight is more than 23 kgs,he only likes to eat sweet things i.e,roti with jaggery,halwa,milk with jaggery etc.he demands to add sweet content in each his food,and dislike all salty foods and snacks.he is gaining too much weight.how should I prepare his diet plan so that he can loose some weight and return to his normal eating routine. please help
Hi Kavita ,
to start with , have you checked his sugar ? please mark for early signs of diabetes like increased thirst , increased urination … i dont want to scare you , but this simple analysis is very important to understad if a health issue is causing this or its just the choice of food .
Hello ma’am
I have 15 month old baby boy. Me usko apna feed krati hu.raat ko vo mujhko nhi chodta j3se uske muh se dudh nikalte hu turant uth jata h…me kya karu ab dudh itna jyada nhi bnaya k usko puri raat pila pau….m irritated…or in me raat ko usko cow milk by cup deti hu…he is not drink…bahut rota h…jbki raat ko usko me properly khana khila k sulaya hu usk3 baad b…pls suggest what we do?
Hi.Mam. my daughter is 29 months old and still breastfeeding. She drinks milk in a glass but sometimes.. She eats but not properly. I want to wean off breast feeding completely..so her eating habits can improve and also appetite. Can you help me pls..
Hi Shefali ,
weaning a baby is a challange for most mothers , but remember this is just a phase and will pass , some kids are easy to convince while some are not . to start with , im guessing she must have some favorite cartoon characters by now …. cook some yummy weaning food from the above mentioned chart , and feed her while telling stories on how the cartoon likes eating it …. play with her and make that meal a bit fun for her .. gradually go on decreasing the number of feeds … mark what she likes most , and feed her that item more , once she understands that she has to now eat , she will slowly stop asking for feeds . on days ehen she get very irritable and fussy and really demands for milk , you will have to feed her . give her top feeds at timely interval , so that she doesnt get very hungry .. feed her before her hunger strikes in .. because once she gets very hungry , she will ignore all sorts of foods and demand for breast feed . so its better to avoid such situations.
hi,
My son is 18 months old. He is still breastfeeding but would take milk from a cup too but in very little amounts. he has always been underweight and short in stature as per his age. However, my concern is pertaining to his eating habits. He eats very tiny quantities as in like 5 spoons of dal rice is all his lunch, 4 bites of parantha is his breakfast, 2-3 pieces of fruits would be his snack.
i have consulted his ped, he recommended medicines for boosting his appetite. it seemed to work for 1 week post which we are back to where we started.i am so frustrated now that i dont know what to do. he would still eat some of crunchy foods, like honey loops, toast, makhane and that is all that he likes. this scenario has been going on for 3-4 months now.
i am now on the verge of having a breakdown.
as for him, he seems to have no issues. he is very active, has good concentration learns things quickly, so i do not think that he is having developmental issue. i have celiac disease which was diagnosed in my 20s.
currently he is not showing any symptom of celiac disease hence, his ped is not very keen on testing him for celiac disease.
i am not just looking for some explanation as to why is he not eating, is it celiac , is it just a phase or has he some sensory issues with food. am i just obsessing over his food or is it really a concern pls advice, i really need some help.
Hi Aishwarya ,
i really feel that you are just obessessing over the matter . the best sign to know if your baby is eating well, is to check if he is reaching the milestones at time , if he is active and interested in the activities happening around him . for both you have mentioned that he is keeping up with well.
you will have to accept that the food intake is different in all individuals . some eat small meals and some need big meals . some kids are small eaters while some are big eaters . just accept the fact and feed him at frequent intervals.
Hi Payal
My daughter is 11.5 months old. I have had exclusively breastfeed her for 6 months and still breastfeed her with solids ofcourse. I don’t want to make her drink buffalo milk with the bottle so I try to incorporate the milk in her porridges or try to feed her with glass or spoon. I feed her solids in short intervals as well. Still she clings on me everytime for breast feeding despite of being stuffed. In the night also she wakes up crying after every 1 hour for feeding and takes the feed for only 2-3 minutes. I don’t know how to stop this and start weaning..Please help! She is super active and her weight is also in sync with her age.
Hi Isha ,
This is just the anxiety of your kid . most kids behave like this while weaning , drinking breast milk gives them comfort. hence the clinging .. weaning is ab it difficult but we can get there slowly .. If you dont want to use bottle , ypou can use sipper bottles , once the baby gets used to it , she will not cling so much to you .
Hello mam,
My daughter is 19 months old she was suffering from cronic constipation, doctor gave duphalac but it didnt work, doc said to quit milk , she takes enough water, she is active too but her weight is only 8kg.. Doc says she should be 10-13kg by now, and she constantly falls sick, viral fever..
I tried satmauv 6 months back aftr feeding her 2/3 times she got constipated so i quit till date she was facing this problm. I was feeding her multi grain flour for chapati which she was not digesting n was doing hard stool with blood .. Now i give her 150ml milk/water 50-50 In morning .. She eats chapati,dal, khichdi , aloo parathas, mosambi juice … Thats it.. No fruits, veggies she like… Please suggest me what should i feed her n how can she get calcium , can i feed her milk do i have to mix with water or whole milk, cows milk or buffalo’s milk.. What should i feed her so that she shouldnt get constipated and gain weight. We are vegetarian, we dont have OTG . I cant make muffins frittles.. Please help
Hi Poonam ,
i did not understand , is she allergic to milk ? why did the doctor ask you to stop taking milk ? milk is high residue and when you add 1 tsp ghee to it , it will help in reslving constipation issue .
Hello Mam,
This is Ritu…. Thanku so much for reply ….. One more thing I forgot to ask … From past 1 mnth , during night times , he is crying ,irritated , too much cranky also … I showed doctor but evrything is ok as he said …. Then whts the problem … Is it due to hungry or anything …. Plse advice Mam …. Suppose if he is hungry .. Iam thinking to give milk or cheese … Is it ok .. So tht it’s healthy for him … As he already drinks milk morning n evening 2 times…. Is it ok
Hi Ritu ,
yes the kids tend to get cranky at night if they are hungry . yes you cn give him a feed at late night . this mite help him .
Hello Mam,
My Son 2.8 yrs old… He weighs 11 1/2 kg…… He ia too active n eats evrything but very lean… Don’t know Wht diet plan I shud give him…. Nowdays he is too much cranky n irritated , don’t know whts the problem …Iam worried abt his Deir plans n his weight … He still don’t speaks more … Only some words but half words ….. His Deit plan
He wakes up at 9:30 -10.00 n have upma , poha or sometime just milk … At 12 he will have fruit or some snack type like dry fruits or some munching , then at 2-2:30 he will have 1 Chappati or rice wth curd or milk or dhal ….. Agin at 6:00pm he will take plain milk or 2 biscuits or sometimes nothing … Again at night 9-9:30 he will have rice with dhal or any bit spicy spicy ….. Is this Deit plan ok ….. If not Plse help me … … Iam more worried abt his deit n his weight gain ….Ritu.sh
Hi Ritu ,
as long as your baby is active and meets his groth milestones , he is ok . the irritability may be due to he long hours between his meals . what he is eating is right , but there is too much gap in between the meals . please include some small meals in between . use the food itms mentioned aboe .
Thanks for ur quick response payal.
Yeah I tried the same formula(similac infant formula) which she used to drink earlier. But shez not taking that milk too..
Hi Swathi ,
I think you shpuld consult her doctor.
Hi papal
My 13month old daughter is hating milk literally. Actually she is on breastmilk till 1year. After that I gave her similac formula and she used to drink it well whire mixing it with cows milk too. 2weeks back I have changed her formula to enfagrow and from the next day she started hated milk. I tried sipper glass bottle. Nothing works. Please advice..
And below is her daily menu chart
9AM wake up and have apple oat cereal/ ragi kanji/ dosa/ idly/ wheat bread/ apple carrot zuccini puree
10.30 or 11AM gerber fruit puree
12.30 or 1PM rice with vegetables and dal
3PM stonyfield fruit yogurt 100gms
5PM banana/crackers or any other snack
7PM curd rice/ suji upma with veggies/ ragi malt/ sweet potato milk porridge
9PM sleep
She won’t take any milk throughout the night too as she refusing milk from 2 weeks.
Thanks in advance
Hi Swathi ,
her routine see, good and there is nothing to worry .. i think its just the taste change that she is disliking , can you buy the same brand as earlier and try giving that again ..
Hi.. I have 2 and 3.5 yrs old daughters during nights mid night they are always going cranky… I’m feeding 1 chappati each and little curd rice… Since it’s very cold here in bangalore and as it is winter season I’m not feeding curd rice.. leaving them only with chappati and curry very little for taste.. is it kids cranky because of the food I given is not sufficient or anything else it can be… They have frequently cold and nose block also.. anyways is it the food is sufficient what I’m giving to them, please advise.. thank you..
Hi Nikitha ,
yes may be the quNTITY OF FOOD YOU SERVE THEM IS INSUFFICIENt . TRY TO GIVE THEM WARM SOUPS IN DINNER , THIS WILL HELP THEM SLEEP AND CLEAR THE BLOCKED NOSES. iF THE cold is very significant . you can use nilgiri oil . just srinkle very little on their t shirts neck area .
Hi, can you kindly guide me if I am following a correct schedule for my 18 month old son. He is lean and weighs 10 kgs. Sometimes he eats a decent amount and at times he hardly eats anything. He is an active baby overall and has achieved his milestones ahead of his time.
Please find it below:
Morning: 150 to 200 ml milk
Breakfast: Sheera/Oatmeal Cereal/Rahi porridge/Dosa/Cutlets/Wheat toast with cheese or peanut butter (one of the options is served)
Snack: 1 slice of an apple/pear or 5 grapes (If he doesn’t eat much of breakfast)
Lunch: 1 roti with sabji or dal rice with sabji
Evening milk: 150 ml
Snack: Wheat sticks or 1, 2crackers
Dinner: 1 roti with sabji or dal rice with sabji
Sometimes I offer fruit before he goes to bed.
I still nurse him, he nurses after lunch before his nap and before he goes to sleep!at night. Do let me know if I need to add anything else.
Even though I try to offer as much variety as possible, there are days when he hardly eats anything. He loves milk and fruits, so he eats that regardless.
Hi Esha ,
every thing looks ok .. why aee you so worried ? if he is active and reaching ilestones ahead of time , then food is not the issue with him . nutrition is good .
The problem is that she doesnt like any sweet flavour. So flavoured milk doesnt work. But i do give her cheese in place of milk. Doesnt it works?
Kindly reply
yes it does . give her paneer ,, or boiled egg white
Hello ma’m,
My Daughter is 2 years and 2 months old. She hates milk so i substitute it with 2 slices of cheese a day. She is very active as she cant sit at one a time. She looks thin. I always confused in her daily food schedule. I think may be she doesnt gets enough food.
I give her
Morning : one slice cheese, boiled egg or spiced rawa.
Lunch : two chapati
Evening : one slice cheese, some fruits
Dinner : two chapati.
I always wonders in her evening snacks. Kindly guide me if you find anything wrong.
Any suggestion will be appreciated.
Thanks.
Hi Mariya , milk is very essential for her , have you tried iving milk in other form like milk shakes , flavoured milk , cold / hot / curd etc … in her fav cartoon character glass or other tricks like this . i hope she is having veggies and curd with chapati . you can increase her egg intake as well.
Hi ,
My daughter is a 71/2 month premature baby .her born weight is 1.1kg now she is 8 kg . and she is 2.1 year old as per birth. probably she eat all food as per her hunger . and she drink aptamil HA 2 milk because of her allergic issue . she talks very well even sentences too . very brilliant to memorize things and reproduce it on different situations. but still she not stated walking along . she hold our one finger and walk nicely .
please advise me to what to do to get more weight gain and for walking .
consulted her peadiatriation they told if she stand on her leg nothing to worry she will walk .
please advise me.
Hi Zuji ,
yes she will walk soon . try to feed her according to the chart given above and she will gain good weight.
Hi ma’am, my name is sandhya. I have a 2 and half years old son. He is a very active kid. But his problem is that he doesn’t eat well and is suffering with severe constipation issue. He wakes up by 9.30-10 in the morning, he has dosa/chapati/ rice but without vegetables and after some time around 1 or 1.30, he has milk. He takes an afternoon nap by 2.30-3 and wakes up by 5-5.30, has some milk, snacks. Then he has dinner by 9 pm. He has chapati or rice or dosa/ upma.but without veggies. He sleeps by 10.30-11. he passes motion 4-5 days once but cries severely while he poos…he has trouble all the in between 3 or 4 days to pass motion…he is unable to pass motion freely…he has pain. Can you suggest a suitable remedy? Also he is only 12- 13 kgs now….he has been on the Same weight since an year
Hi Sandhya ,
feed him with milk , 1 tsp ghee in it at night . if he likes giov him 1 cube of cheese every night after dinner . this will help in clearing his motion . making the stools soft and once this gets o , he will eat better and gain weight as well.
Hello. Thanks for the blog on children’s diet. I want your suggestion for my daughter who is 3.6 years old. She weighs 11.4 kgs and her height is 97cms. Her birth weight was 2.6kgs. She goes to school and is generally quite active and attentive. I generally give her small meals which includes rotis,parathas,puris,rice,semolina,milk,kaju and almond,chicken,fish,mutton, egg,vegetables almost everything,cheese and anything that comes under Indian diet.She does not prefer fruit but even then I at times make her juices and feed her banana. The problem is she looks very lean and thin and often people poke me saying she is not growing. I am quite worried. Please let me know what should I do and how can I improve her health and keep her healthy.
Hi ,
out of what you have written , i feel you are doing every thing possiblel , and especially because your daughter is acive and attentive shows that her nutrition is up to mark . you have taken good cre of it . so why worry ? please check the groth chart for her height and weight . i feel its very much normal . there is no need to give in on what people say . just ignore them .
Hello maam.. My daughter is 3 yrs old and 12 kg.. She never wants any good breakfast in the morning… She prefers bourvita little champs with two biscuits.. Later on I give her banana.. Then at 12:30 I give lunch with fish rice with ghee or fish curry with bit veg… Later on I give mousombi juice.. At the evening she wants to repeat the same as morning.. And at night she also wants to have some light food.. So maam pls suggest me the night time food and breakfast meal.. And plz tell me either her wt is OK??? Thankuu
HI ,
Are her bowel movements good and regular ? some kids who are constipated , show the same signs .
Hi mam ,
My daughter doesn’t eat anything. She hate to drink milk.she is dependent more on chocolates.she hardly takes 3 spoons of rasam rice.that too blended in mixie.need Ur suggestion to increase her appetite. We r from chennai.
how old is your daughter ? and wat is her weight ?
Hello Mam…. My Son is 2.3 years old, he has cold n cough right now so he is not feeding properly…. Abhi I m giving him food in pureed form so that he can have food atleast … N most of the time he z eating Daliya with milk. .. He becomes very thin now due to improper fooding..
Plz give ur advice or suggestions..
Also he has not started to speak except Mumma papa… So we r sending him in Playgroup … Can you suggest anything for this.
Plz reply
Hi Prashi ,
firstly . the cold and cough must get better in a weeks time , o his eating should improve . even if he is datking milk and daliya it is fine , add ghee if he takes sweet and add vegetables if he takes salty daliya .
for speech , some kids are slow learners . he will learn to speak once he is exposed to a different surrounding you have now put him in a play group , so this should really make a difference.
Hlo ma’am
My little one is 21 months old.c is a very fussy eater.her weight is 7.600 gm . C was preterm baby.n c fall sick again n again.now c is suffering from hepatitis,, c only preferred breast feed..c is very thin n in her urine report I came to know that her calcium drained out by her urine..m really worried.
Hi Rozina ,
is she on calcium supplements ? you can give her ragi porridge and rajgeera porridge /
My baby girl is 15 months old and is suffering from severe constipation.
Pears prunes oats…nothing worked.
She is now taking miralax laxative powder .please advise a non medical solution to cure her constipation.
It is becoming a nightmare for us.
She is having raagi. .daliya..oats etc for breakfast rice with dal and ghee with some veggies in the lunch and cerelac for dinner..meanwhile she is drinking formula milk and cow milk. This is her diet .
Iam giving ajowan water ..stomach massage ..but nothing worked .
Hi ,
try giving her bed ime milk with 2 tsp of ghee . this really helps in defecation . also make sure she drinkes plenty of water during the day . low water intake is a major reason of constipation in kids now a days .
Hi my son is 2.7years old.. he is not take any raw fruits.. only drink fruit juice.. he is now joined prekg school.. In school, he should eat any fruits.. but he is not eating any raw fruit till now.. pls give suggestion for him..
Hi Bhadra ,
which fruit have you tried to give him ? start with banana and apple . you can try to cut it in pieces and serve him with a kids fork .. normally kids will like to eat anything that they are given individually with a fork or spoon .
Hi! I am a student studying in my final year of “Nutrition Food Service Management and Dietetics”. I can’t quite come up with a sample meal that is perfectly balanced with the RDA value for a given age group. Your meal plan is beneficial but it doesn’t have serving portions… Please help me out! It will be really helpful to me if you include serving portion in a sample meal that is balanced with the RDA for a given age group.
Hi Mary ,
the charts we do in college is very different from the charts we make for clients in practicality. we dont mention the rda values . hence i havent mentioned it here .. i guess you can make it with a little effort. if you get stuck any where , ill try to help . you can let me know
HI PAYAL,
MY SON IS 13 MONTHS OLD AND HE ONLY TAKE BREASTFEED , NO OTHER MILK CONTENT OR ANY DAIRY ITEM, HE LIKES TO EAT BANANA WHOLE DAY AROUND 2-3 BANANA, OTHER THEN THIS HE LIKES TO EAT CHAPATI AND LITTLE LICHI JUICE WITH SOME POMEGRANATE SEEDS ,MY WIFE IS A TEACHER ,SHE LEFT HIM AT 7 IN THE MORNING AND MEET HIM AROUND 0330 AFTERNOON.HIS WEIGHT IS AROUND8.5 KG AND HE LOOKS VERY WEEK .HE IS VERY ACTIVE PHYSICALLY PLAYING WHOLE DAY WITH HIS GRANDPARENTS BUT IN THE NIGHT HE STIKED TO HIS MOTHER FOR BREASTFEED WHOLE NIGHT . HIS DIET PLAN IS AS FOLLWS
MORNING- BREASTFEED TILL 7 AND AFTER THIS SOME POMEGRANATE SEEDS AND 4-5 SLICES OF CHAPATI
AROUND 10 – ONE BANANA
LUCNH- 4-5 SLICES OF CHAPATI AND SOME LICHI JUICE
POST LUCH – ONE BANANA
AFTER 0330 – BREASTFEED
AROUND 0530- BANANA
DINNER- 5-7 SLICES OF CHAPATI
AND WHOLE NIGHT BREASTFEED
SO PLEASE EXPLAIN ME HOW I FEED HIM SO THAT HIS BODY NEED WILL GET FULFILLED . HS PROTEIN INTAKE AROUND NIL , SUGGEST ME THE DIET FOR HIM .
THANK YOU
Give him more fruits like apple , papaya , sometimes give him rice and daliya too . add dal to his rice .
what is his weight ?
Hi payal…
My 2 yr old girl is really active and I felt that she doesn’t get enough nutrients…she is thin… am okay with that but husband and Ma is not happy with that….so can u plzz help me to make a proper diet for her….
She generally wakes up at 8.30 or 9….I gave her milk with Horlicks…at 10 or 10.30 I will give her half dosa, idly or chappathi….at 12 I gave her ragi porridge or oats porridge with badam in it…if she sleeps at 1 then I will not give her rice…at that time I will gave her the rest of the porridge or milk….she sleeps for two to three hours…after waking up will give rice or dalliya or kitchdi…4 to 5 spoons..at 5 I gave her one piece pomgranate or half banana.. after sometime cornflakes or crispy foods.. @ 7 sada milk….@ 9 rice soup or kitchdi….@ 10.30 watery milk…she sleeps at 11… at night if she wants I gave her that watery milk…
This is her diet payal..is that okay..if not plzzz help….. Is pediasure good for her….she ate White part of egg not yolk ..
you can start giing her almonds and walnuts . if she is active and meets her growth milestones then you dont need to worry , its all going good.
Hello! My 2 year old will not chew food so i cant give her any finger food, she either spits it out or will play with itt. What do i do?
Hi ,
some kids learn late to chew . you need to remind her for chewing and you need to show her how to chew . dotn worry , she will catch up soon . for the time being feed her half churned food to avoid constipation, if she doesnt chew at all.
Hi..
My son is 2.5 years old. His wt is 12 kg. He is very active n healthy. But is doesnt like food.. he used to drink cow milk only. He drink about 1.5 lit daily. I also give him iron syrup for appetite. But no improvement…how to increase his appetite?
have you tried engaging him in activities while feeding ? colour variations , food and shapes variation , or super hero stories ? these actually work .. try them at level 1 , if this doesnt work we can think about other tips
My 20 months son does not like to eat food, he obviosuly is not gainign weight either. He is only 10.1 kgs. He prefers to drink 100ml of milk in the morning as soon as he wakes up, then at around 9am he has 3 to 4 bites of paratha, around 11am he eats a bit of youghurt normally 90 grams and one small cup cake. at 1pm he prefers to have around 150ml of milk and takes a nap. Once he is up then he eats like 2 to 3 spoons of rice with chicken or whatever I prepare for him and then he comes back home from his day care. At home. I try to make him eat the lunch at home around 4:30-5pm and then he has very little dinner at around 7;30 I tryy to give him chicken drumsticks or pasta and then by 9:30 he grabs his bottle of milk around 200ml and sleeps. I know and I feel he eats very little but is there a way I can do something about it. Im very distressed seeing his weight is always below the curve. It looks like he just hates food. He is very active but the lack of intake of food really worries me. His immune system is nt very strong as he falls sick very often but doctors say its more because of the nursery where other kids are also sick. please help and guide me… I really feel like crying at times……..
Hi Zuleih ,
i know i can be worry some . please check for signs – have you seen him eating non edible things like eraser , paper , chalk , mud ?
– this issue can occur if the child is deficient in iron , they gve up on food and consume all non edible food stff. in this case , please see your pediatrician , and get iron syrups prescribed . this will help him increasing appetite and interest in food.
Hi Payal,
You have put-in a lot of effort for your article that explains diet of toddlers perfectly. My DD is 12 months old and is breastfed. I am ok with her diet and weight( a little picky though) but my main concern is that she doesn’t take any kind of milk apart from my feed. I have tried various flavors/sippers/bottles but all in vein. She is happy to have curd/buttermilk/custard but not milk. I feed her thrice a day and throughout the night. Please let me know what can I do here to?
Thanks in Advance.
Hi Priyanka ,
if you are feeding her breast milk so many times a day , then there is nothing to worry , she will pick up the other milk item taste after another 4-5 months . her diet looks pk in your description . but if you want to stop breast feeding her and wean her to bottles / glass / sippers , then let me know and i shall advice you accordingly .
Hey Payal
My son is 3.5 yrs old his weight is 11 kg and his height is 35.5inch which is less than a normal 3.5 yr old.He was born preterm he was born in 27 week and had a multiple surgeries as he was having bilateral hernia and he was having birth defects he was not having anal opening for which he had gone through two surgeries and now in Sept he has to undergo an other surgery for his prolapse. Since one months his diet is as follow
Morning 9.00am
150ml milk
Followed by nuts in nuts I give him 5to 7 pistachio and 5 almonds
Breakfast 10.30 am
Cheese and cucumber sandwich (one brown bread)/missi roti /besan chilla with paneer,meethi,beans,capsicum
Lunch 12.30pm
Rice +toor dal+curd
Milk after half an hrs 150 ml
4.00 pm
French fries + one puri /steam broccoli
6.00pm
Tomato chees pasta
9.00pm
If he wants to eat something then I make him eat pretzel or roti
And before bed he drinks milk 300ml
Pls suggest if this site is fine.He is thin and has to undergo an other surgery hope you can understand my concern what else should I make him eat he doesn’t like Indian sweets at all he only likes chocolates, cookies,cakes that too he won’t eat very often.pls suggest what should I make him eat so he gains weight
Hi Natasha ,
Thank you for contacting dietburrp. the routine you have mentioned looks ok . i can make out that you guys are vegetarians . but giving him eggs will really help him cope up with the coming surgeries. protein supplements like pediasure will also be helpful. give him pomogranate juice. and increase his almonds.
You are a strong mother , and your little one is a strong champ. I wish you both more strength .
Hey Payal
My son is 3.5 yrs old his weight is 11 kg and his height is 35.5inch which is less than a normal 3.5 yr old.He was born preterm he was born in 27 week and had a multiple surgeries as he was having bilateral hernia and he was having birth defects he was not having anal opening for which he had gone through two surgeries and now in Sept he has to undergo an other surgery for his prolapse. Since one months his diet is as follow
Morning 9.00am
150ml milk
Followed by nuts in nuts I give him 5to 7 pistachio and 5 almonds
Breakfast 10.30 am
Cheese and cucumber sandwich (one brown bread)/missi roti /besan chilla with paneer,meethi,beans,capsicum
Lunch 12.30pm
Rice +toor dal+curd
Milk after half an hrs 150 ml
4.00 pm
French fries + one puri /steam broccoli
6.00pm
Tomato chees pasta
9.00pm
If he wants to eat something then I make him eat pretzel or roti
And before bed he drinks milk 300ml
Pls suggest if this site is fine.He is thin and has to undergo an other surgery hope you can understand my concern what else should I make him eat he doesn’t like Indian sweets at all he only likes chocolates, cookies,cakes that too he won’t eat very often.pls suggest what should I make him eat so he gains weight.I also give him mulitvaitamins everyday.
Thanks Natasha
Hello mam my baby boy is 22 months old. From the starting he don’t want to eat only want breastfeeding. I started his solids at 9 months because he was not taking anything I gave him forcefully. Till now he doesn’t eat anything by himself mean doesn’t open mouth whatever I give so I have to give him forcefully olwyz nw m vry depressed because forcefully kb tk deti rhogi usko bhook lagti h bt khud se nhi khata n chew bhi nhi krta grind krk forcefully dena pdta h plz mam suggest me what to do. in whole day kbhi bhi apni marzi se nhi leta. Plz mam reply m vry depressed.
Hi Kanika ,
Dont be depressed , this is a common ccomplain of mother’s today . have yu tried giving him french fries ? does he eat that atleast ? or a biscuit ?
Hi Payal
Your article is really very good and very comprehensive. My daughter is now two year old. we are strict vegetarian ( no egg also). and she does not like milk . she is still on breast feed twice a day. she is under weight
Could you please advise some good replacement for eggs and milk . also I am not very clear on portion size . You say one tablespoon for each year. it means only table spoon for rice at a time or table spoon of each item during each feed.
do reply please.
thanks,
Noopur
Hi Noopur ,
you can try giving her paneer and cheese in various form , milk also you can give in other forms like milk shakes , curds etc . colourful milkshaes really attract kids .
is your daugher meeting her growth milestone in time ? see quantity i realy cant be specific , as its different for all kids .. some of them have 2 biscuits and get full for the next 3 hours , some kids need to eat something every 1 hour, both are correct .. hence dont bind her with quantities .
Hi
Just saw your blog. My daughter is 2.7yrs old, but weighs only 9.6kgs (she is a premiere and was just 1.4gms at birth). She is a very fussy eater and very active. She just joined pre kg and now she had totally stopped eating. There are days where she’ll literally not eat anything and i feed her pediasure during sleep – just 100ml on a go. We are vegetarians and she does not eat egg too. But she has a little liking for plain cheese. May i give her a cheese cube as a snack along with fruits daily to school. Kindly suggest me. Het usual diet is as follows
6:30 wake up
7:00 – 50 to 70 ml of pediasure in water
8:00 – a small portion of seasonal fruit
9:00 – 1.5 scoops of rice porridge mixed with water and boiled
10:45 – 5 small home made cookies.
12:00 – 10 tea spoons of rice max with very little veggies
3:00 – naps for 2hrs on average
5:30 – 50 to 70 ml of pediasure in water
7:30 – 1 roti r dosa r 10 tsp of upma r rice n 50 to 70 ml of curd
9:00 – 50 to 70 ml of pediasure in water (not daily though).
PS: she had very little appetite from the start and her paed suggests not to force as she may get an aversion to food.
Kindly help my lo to put on weight. Thank you.
Hi ,
yes you can give her cheese cube to snack on … if she likes cheese , you can try giving her cheese spread with roti or in brown bread .
if she is eating whatever you have mentioned and her growth is up to the mark , like she is active and meeting her milestones on time , then you may not worry . and dont force her to eat , she will slowly start eating more . but if you force her too much , she may stop eating whatever she is eating now . if her groth is not up to the mark or her activeness level is low , then we will discuss accordingly
Hey
My son is 3.5 yrs old and his weight is 11.6kg pls suggest me a site for him and let me know how much protein does he needs and how much water should he drink in day.this is his site plan
9.00 am 350 no milk
9.30am 5 pista and 5 almonds
10.30/11.00 fruits/ one brown bread with cheese and cucumber
12.00 pm toor dal+ rice+curd or one stuffed roti or poori and French fries
2.30 pm milk 350 ml
6.00 pm tomato cheese pasta or idli
8.30 -9.00 half or full chapati if he wants
9.30pm milk and and on bed.
Pls let me know if this is fine and pls suggest any changes. He doesn’t like any vegetables.
Hi payal my dougher is just turned 3.her height is 92cm.is it normal? I m worried for her height.plz give me sm diet plan to increase her height
Mam plz waiting for your replye
Hi Payal
Meri beti 26 month ki hai pr bahot hi weak hai..abhi uska weight sirf 9 kg hai…khane me koyi drama nhi karti sab khati hai pr bahot dubli hai…kya kru?
is she active ? is she reaching all age milestones on time ? if yes , then dont worry . she will eventually gain weight. but if she is inactive or growth is being affected , then treatment is required
Hello..i like your food chart its help me aloat ..my son is 16 month running .he born at 8 month 1st week from the born its passed motion so many time til now .but dr says ita normal ..i need your suggestion that what ever i feed him is that k or should i chang some thing ..
As he wake-up till 9 ..i give him oat with apple milk till 10 or before that .
At 11 means as he finieshed b.f after 1 half hr i offer milk some te he drink full or some time half .its around 3 oz ..
He take nap
Till 1.30 or 2 he take lunch ..roti cured. Veg whatever ia made for us ..
After he play them till 5.30 he take nap ..
I offer chiçcko or banna ..or seaonal fruit..and after 1 hr i offer mill .
Til 9 he had dinner ..puri ..khichdi
Dosa ..i try to keep change .
Til 11..he had milk .4 to 5 oz depands on him . After that good night
Some time in night he wake up.for milk bottal ..time keep chang
He usued to milk both cow and nan pro ..
But his weight not gain
From 11 month till now 16 month he is only 9.3 kg ..for that what i do .
Plz plz help me out
Today i read chart given by you .. from tommorrow i plan to followed that .but waiting for replye thanx …for everything
HiNeha ,
every thing you mentioned looks ok . if he met all he growth milestones on time , and is active ,, then weight is just a number … following the diet plan mentioned by me will help in gaining weight,
Hello mam… My kids is 2,7…but not willing to chew.. What should I do..
2 year old i understand , but to your 7 year old , you can explain the why chewing is important , he / she might understand . for your little one , you needto keep reminding them , make stories and feed them . to avoid medical issues , you can give them food in semi solid form and 1 or 2 solid meals for a week .
Hi Payal
My little one is 22 months old and weighs only 9.2kg… is the weight okay?
i give her milk, multigrain mix, veggies, fruits, rice dhal, egg everything….on the other note she is very active and has no troubles….she doesn fall sick too…sleeps well, has good, metabolism too…
should i be worried of weight or not???
you should not be worried about the weight if she is active and eats well. and has met her growth milestones on time.
Hello mam my girl is 2.6 years old nd weighted 10kg kuch nhi lgta usko khaya piya even she poops alot nd hv food articles in that iam giving her protinex junior in night but all vain she is not gaining weight. Form the day she born she thru up curdel like milk after feed nd nd still somtimes she vomits like adults. I gave him much ghee from 6months of age kahi ussey he toh digestion ki problem nahi ho gai??? Iam so confused why she is so small nd lean
what does the doctor say ? any issues in her digestive system ? organ or function related ?
Hello mam..
My baby is 2 yrs old.. She is very picky eater.. She doesn’t like to eat fruits.. So i give them through milk shakes.. She don’t eat any veggies or daal.. Just like to eat salted parantha or plain rice.. She don’t eat upma, kichdi etc. Plzzzz suggest me what should i do…
Hi Urvashi ,
I understand that it may be worry some as a mother … but because she is eating other things it should be ok .. i would suggest you to not bother her to eat the things she doesnt like for a 2-3 weeks. kids forget about bad experiences with food in this period , and reintroduce this food to her in a little quantity, in a happy friendly environment. dont force her to eat … just create some hype about the food being tasty and nutritious . rest will follow on .
hi. payal mam.. my baby is 26 months… vo khata sbkuj hai
khana,chapati rice dahi,milk fruit, lekin uska weight wahi hai jo 1 sal ka tha jab tha…. dekhne me bhi vo week hai.. lekin active bahot hai… aisa kya du jo uski seht bhi lage kuch….
you can use protein powders and dry fruits , eggs and chicken
My 18 months daughter doesn’t like to eat anything in dinner. Considering she might be too full, I have cut down her evening snacks, but no help. Please help. She used to like dalia, oats at night time.
has anything in her routine changed ? like she is playing less or more in the evening ? sleep time changes ?
Heyyy…
Tanx for all thse advce u ve given. I will try dis chart for my child 3years old. Bt one prblm is there he dont like to eat fruits he only like the juice of it but as raw he never use to it so plzzz tell me what i will do..
you can make him fancy abou t the fruit , like watermelon cut a boat shape and eat infornt of him , he might get interested looking at the shape.