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Suggest A Diet Plan For A Child Who Is Under Weight

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Posted on Thu, 9 Nov 2017
Question: My daughter is 5 years old but weight -15KG and height is 106cms.She is very thin and skinny. She used to be very chubby till one year.Later started becoming thin.Her appetite is very less.Also when compered to other kids of her age she is thin, which is concerning.Could you please suggest some good diet.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Diptanshu Das (2 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Diet plan suggested

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.

I have gone through your query carefully and understand your concerns. For proper development your child needs the following nutrients:

* Grains, especially whole grains and/or high fiber varieties
* Fruits and Vegetables, especially rainbow colored ones. Your child should consume 5 portions of fruits and vegetables every day.
* Fats and oils, especially oils from fish, nuts, avocados and liquid oil such as corn oil, soybean oil, olive oil and canola oil.
* Milk and dairy products
* Meat, poultry, fish, beans, peas, eggs, nuts, and seeds
* The vegetarian alternatives to meat are soya, beans, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, mushrooms, nuts, and seeds.

A typical diet plan can be something like:
* Early Morning - A glass of milk, 2 XXXXXXX biscuits

* Breakfast
- 1/2 bowl of milk with cornflakes and 1/2 banana
- 1/2 cup oatmeal with 1/2 teaspoon of honey and half an apple
- 1/2 cup XXXXXXX made with milk with crushed or powdered nuts
- 1/2 cup suji halwa with powdered cashews and almonds
- 1/2 bowl of vegetable poha
- 1/2 stuffed vegetable parantha
- 1 idli with peanut chutney
- 1/2 cup suji upma with vegetables
- 1 small cheela with tomato chutney or sauce
- 2 pieces paneer sandwich dhokla with green chutney

* Mid-morning Snack
You should keep this snack light as there is not much gap between this and lunch and filling up on this would not leave much room for lunch.
- 1 small banana, a small apple, 1 orange, half a cup cut papaya or any other seasonal fruit
- 2 XXXXXXX or whole-wheat biscuits
- 1/2 cup cut seasonal fruit
- 1/2 glass shikanji with honey
- 1/2 cup plain chaas

* Lunch
- 1 small chapatti smeared with little ghee with 1/4 cup dal and 1/4 cup vegetable. Keep serving different vegetables and dals.
- 1/4 cup dal and 1/4 cup seasonal vegetable with 1/2 cup rice. Add 1/2 teaspoon ghee to dal.
- 1 cup vegetable khichdi with 1/2 teaspoon ghee on top.
- 1/2 cup rice with 1/2 cup of sambar and 1 teaspoon peanut chutney.
- 1 cup vegetable pulao with 1/2 cup yogurt or raita.
- 1/2 cup Matar paneer with 1/2 cup rice or 1 small parantha.

* Evening Snack
- 1/2 cup milk with 2 wholewheat crackers
- 1 small sandwich with mixed fruit jam and butter
- 1 small peanut butter sandwich
- 1/2 cup fresh fruit cut into cubes and 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup fresh fruit milkshake (banana, XXXXXXX cheeku etc.)
- 1 cup fresh fruit smoothie
- 5-6 sweet potato fries
- 3-4 Tofu or paneer sticks

* Dinner - Let the kid eat whatever and however much he wants. Let the dinner be light.
- 1/2 cup Vegetable pulao with mixed raita
- 1/2 to 1 cup Vermicelli upma with vegetables
- 1/2 to 1 cup Vegetable pasta with cheese
- 1/2 to 1 cup Vegetable noodles
- 1/2 to 1 cup Khichdi with veggies
- 1/2 cup Matar paneer with 1/2 cup rice or 1 small parantha
- 1 small chapatti with paneer bhurji

In case you are a non-vegetarian, suitable modifications may be done. The following items can be given in addition to the above list.

Breakfast
- 1 scrambled egg with buttered toast
- 1 Omelette with buttered toast
- French toast
- 2 small Banana pancakes with honey

Lunch
- Vegetable pulao with 1/4 cup egg curry
- 1 small chapatti with 1/4 cup chicken curry and salad
- 1/2 cup rice with 1/4 cup fish curry and veggies on the side
- Mild chicken biryani with mixed veg raita

Dinner
- Vegetable pulao with 1/4 cup egg curry
- 1 small chapatti with 1/4 cup chicken curry and salad
- 1/2 cup rice with 1/4 cup fish curry and veggies on the side
- Mild chicken biryani with mixed veg raita
- Chicken and veg pasta in tomato sauce
- Egg and veg noodles

Based on an understanding of the above you can custom make a diet plan that suits your child.

Let me know if I could help further.

Regards


Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Diptanshu Das (1 hour later)
Thank you doctor for your detailed answer.
You gave a list of suggestions for breakfast,lunch and dinner does the options are like all together or any one of them like for breakfast 1/2 bowl of milk with cornflakes and 1/2 banana or 1/2 cup oatmeal with 1/2 teaspoon of honey and half an apple or its both

Also does drinking milk causes phlegm and cough?
I give her 2 Idly with some raagi porridge for breakfast is it good to give raagi porridge to kids?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Diptanshu Das (27 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Anyone of them

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for writing back.

The suggestions for each meal is one hyphenated line (anyone) and not in combination.

Drinking milk does not cause phlegm.

2 idlies and ragi porridge are good. Ragi porridge in fact very good for kids.

Regards

Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Diptanshu Das

Pediatrician

Practicing since :2005

Answered : 3875 Questions

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Suggest A Diet Plan For A Child Who Is Under Weight

Brief Answer: Diet plan suggested Detailed Answer: Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic. I have gone through your query carefully and understand your concerns. For proper development your child needs the following nutrients: * Grains, especially whole grains and/or high fiber varieties * Fruits and Vegetables, especially rainbow colored ones. Your child should consume 5 portions of fruits and vegetables every day. * Fats and oils, especially oils from fish, nuts, avocados and liquid oil such as corn oil, soybean oil, olive oil and canola oil. * Milk and dairy products * Meat, poultry, fish, beans, peas, eggs, nuts, and seeds * The vegetarian alternatives to meat are soya, beans, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, mushrooms, nuts, and seeds. A typical diet plan can be something like: * Early Morning - A glass of milk, 2 XXXXXXX biscuits * Breakfast - 1/2 bowl of milk with cornflakes and 1/2 banana - 1/2 cup oatmeal with 1/2 teaspoon of honey and half an apple - 1/2 cup XXXXXXX made with milk with crushed or powdered nuts - 1/2 cup suji halwa with powdered cashews and almonds - 1/2 bowl of vegetable poha - 1/2 stuffed vegetable parantha - 1 idli with peanut chutney - 1/2 cup suji upma with vegetables - 1 small cheela with tomato chutney or sauce - 2 pieces paneer sandwich dhokla with green chutney * Mid-morning Snack You should keep this snack light as there is not much gap between this and lunch and filling up on this would not leave much room for lunch. - 1 small banana, a small apple, 1 orange, half a cup cut papaya or any other seasonal fruit - 2 XXXXXXX or whole-wheat biscuits - 1/2 cup cut seasonal fruit - 1/2 glass shikanji with honey - 1/2 cup plain chaas * Lunch - 1 small chapatti smeared with little ghee with 1/4 cup dal and 1/4 cup vegetable. Keep serving different vegetables and dals. - 1/4 cup dal and 1/4 cup seasonal vegetable with 1/2 cup rice. Add 1/2 teaspoon ghee to dal. - 1 cup vegetable khichdi with 1/2 teaspoon ghee on top. - 1/2 cup rice with 1/2 cup of sambar and 1 teaspoon peanut chutney. - 1 cup vegetable pulao with 1/2 cup yogurt or raita. - 1/2 cup Matar paneer with 1/2 cup rice or 1 small parantha. * Evening Snack - 1/2 cup milk with 2 wholewheat crackers - 1 small sandwich with mixed fruit jam and butter - 1 small peanut butter sandwich - 1/2 cup fresh fruit cut into cubes and 1/2 cup milk - 1 cup fresh fruit milkshake (banana, XXXXXXX cheeku etc.) - 1 cup fresh fruit smoothie - 5-6 sweet potato fries - 3-4 Tofu or paneer sticks * Dinner - Let the kid eat whatever and however much he wants. Let the dinner be light. - 1/2 cup Vegetable pulao with mixed raita - 1/2 to 1 cup Vermicelli upma with vegetables - 1/2 to 1 cup Vegetable pasta with cheese - 1/2 to 1 cup Vegetable noodles - 1/2 to 1 cup Khichdi with veggies - 1/2 cup Matar paneer with 1/2 cup rice or 1 small parantha - 1 small chapatti with paneer bhurji In case you are a non-vegetarian, suitable modifications may be done. The following items can be given in addition to the above list. Breakfast - 1 scrambled egg with buttered toast - 1 Omelette with buttered toast - French toast - 2 small Banana pancakes with honey Lunch - Vegetable pulao with 1/4 cup egg curry - 1 small chapatti with 1/4 cup chicken curry and salad - 1/2 cup rice with 1/4 cup fish curry and veggies on the side - Mild chicken biryani with mixed veg raita Dinner - Vegetable pulao with 1/4 cup egg curry - 1 small chapatti with 1/4 cup chicken curry and salad - 1/2 cup rice with 1/4 cup fish curry and veggies on the side - Mild chicken biryani with mixed veg raita - Chicken and veg pasta in tomato sauce - Egg and veg noodles Based on an understanding of the above you can custom make a diet plan that suits your child. Let me know if I could help further. Regards