Brief Answer: Calcium and zinc supplements will be beneficial Detailed Answer: Hi Welcome to healthcare-Magic Greetings of the day, The cause for nail problem is likely to be micro-nutrient deficiency like Iron, Zinc and Iodine. Also it would be associated with calcium deficiency. Zincovit Syrup and Calimax Syrup will be beneficial. Pediasure can be used, but i recommend home based food. One recipe which the kid will like is as below Ingredients needed: Ghee( 2 spoons), Whole wheat flour ( 2 spoons) , Pista( 50 gms), Cardomom ( 6 in number), Almonds( 50 gms), Khajur( Dried dates 50 gms), water/milk In a pan pour 2 spoons of ghee, heat it, add 2 spoons of wheat flour (Atta), cook it till golden brown on low flame till its slightly golden in color. Add 2 Cups of water or Milk and keep stirring it continuously making a thin water paste( same like sira consistency). To this add powdered mixture of rest of ingredients grinded in mixer ( pista, almond, khajur, cardomom). Supplement baby breakfast with this recipe, and also can be consumed at night when baby is hungry. In this way her quota for milk will also be fulfilled. It is important that you start introducing a variety of food in your toddler's diet gradually. These will provide the calories, proteins, vitamins and minerals that are essential for her growth. The amount of food eaten would vary from child to child and would also depend on when you introduce a particular food to your toddler. Most of the times it is "Try and Error" method. Lots of patience would be required from your end to find out what is that diet which tickles your toddlers tastebuds which also contains maximum nutrients. You need to try multiple ones and find which your child loves to eat amongst those. Here are few meals suggestions Monday Early Morning: 1 cup milk and 2 almonds soaked overnight and peeled. Breakfast: 1-1½ moong dal cheela (Moong dal dosa) or plain ghee dosa with coriander chutney. Mid morning: 1 fresh fruit cubed into small pieces or 1 cup of fruit or vegetable juice or 1 cup of tomato or vegetable soup. Lunch: ½ cup chicken or mutton kofta curry with ¾ cup rice or 1-2 chapattis. Evening snack: Fruit smoothie and 1 wholegrain cracker. Dinner: ½ - 1 cup khichri, ½ cup seasonal vegetables like methi, palak, or lauki. Tuesday Early Morning: 1 cup milk. Breakfast: ½ cup cereal such as ragi (nachni) or XXXXXXX cooked in whole cream milk with chopped nuts such as almonds, walnuts, raisins and pistachios. Mid morning: 1 fresh fruit cubed into small pieces or 1 cup of fruit or vegetable juice or 1 cup of tomato or vegetable soup. Lunch (Curd optional): ½ cup dal, 3-4 spoonfuls of seasonal vegetables such as methi, lauki, etc. with ¾ cup rice or 1-2 chapattis. Evening snack: Corn chaat or fruit chaat. Dinner: ½ cup baked vegetables with cheese and 1 slice whole wheat bread. Wednesday Early Morning: 1 cup milk and 2 almonds soaked overnight and peeled. Breakfast: ½ cup bhaji with 1 or 2 pavs. Mid morning: 1 fresh fruit or 1 cup of fruit or vegetable juice or 1 cup of tomato or vegetable soup. Lunch (Curd optional): ½ cup egg curry (1 whole boiled egg), ¾ cup rice or 1-2 chapattis. Evening snack: 1 banana puree with ½ cup milk. Dinner: ½ cup mutton stew with vegetables like beans and peas and 1-2 appams. Thursday Early Morning: 1 cup milk. Breakfast: 1 whole wheat buttered toast with 1 egg omelette. Mid morning: 1 fresh fruit or 1 cup of fruit or vegetable juice or 1 cup of tomato or vegetable soup. Lunch (Curd optional): ½ cup potato soya gravy and 1 parantha or ¾ cup rice. Evening snack: A whole wheat bread coriander or tomato chutney sandwich. Dinner: ½ cup tomato fish curry,¾ - 1 cup rice. Friday Early Morning: 1 cup milk and 2 almonds soaked overnight and peeled. Breakfast: ½-1 cup suji upma with vegetables such as beans, peas, carrots and coconut. Mid morning: 1 fresh fruit or 1 cup of fruit or vegetable juice or 1 cup of tomato or vegetable soup. Lunch (Curd optional): ½ cup butter chicken or chicken curry with ¾ cup rice or 1-2 chapattis. Evening snack: ½ cup moong sprouts salad with tomatoes, onions, coriander and lemon juice. Dinner: ½ cup palak paneer, 1 chapatti or ½ - 1 cup rice. Saturday Early Morning: 1 cup milk. Breakfast: 1 parantha stuffed with egg bhurji or scrambled, hard boiled or poached eggs with toast. Mid morning: 1 fresh fruit or 1 cup of fruit or vegetable juice or 1 cup of tomato or vegetable soup. Lunch (Curd optional): ½-1 cup rajma with ½ – ¾ cup rice. Evening snack: 1 chicken nugget with 1 small slice of garlic bread. Dinner: 1 cup pasta in tomato sauce with vegetables such as cabbage, peas and cauliflower and ¼ cup fresh green salad with tomatoes, onions and carrots. Sunday Early Morning: 1 cup milk. Breakfast: 1 parantha roll with a stuffing of paneer and other seasonal vegetables. Mid morning: 1 fresh fruit or 1 cup of fruit or vegetable juice or 1 cup of tomato or vegetable soup. Lunch (Curd optional): ¼ cup haryali chicken cooked in spinach puree with ¾ cup rice or 1-2 chapattis. Evening snack: 1 slice walnut/fruit bread with ½ cup milk. Dinner: ½ cup de-boned and mashed fish and potato curry with ½-1 parantha. Occasionally, you may want to serve desserts. Do remember to keep your toddler's daily sugar intake to about 1-2 tsp, and use honey or jaggery (gur) to sweeten the dessert instead of sugar. Vegetarian Recipe Monday Early Morning: 1 cup milk and 2 almonds soaked overnight and peeled. Breakfast: Tomato and cheese sandwich with 2 slices of whole wheat bread. Mid morning: 1 fresh fruit or 1 cup of fruit or vegetable juice or 1 cup of tomato or vegetable soup. Lunch (Curd optional): ½ cup dal, or ½ cup palak paneer, with 1-2 chapatti or 1 cup rice. Evening snack: Fruit smoothie with 1 cup whole cream milk. Dinner: ½ cup baked vegetables such as cauliflower, beans and peas, ½ cup mashed potatoes. Tuesday Early Morning: 1 cup milk. Breakfast: 1 cup cereal such as ragi (nachni) or XXXXXXX cooked in whole cream milk with chopped almonds, raisins, walnuts or pistachios. Mid morning: 1 fresh fruit or 1 cup of fruit or vegetable juice or 1 cup of tomato or vegetable soup. Lunch : 1 vegetable burger with soya granules and potato, carrot and bean XXXXXXX tomato chutney. Evening snack: 1 cup mixed fruit chaat with apples, pineapples, grapes and bananas. Dinner: 1 cup moong dal khichri with vegetables such as beans, pumpkin and brinjal and tomato or coriander or dhaniya chutney. Wednesday Early Morning: 1 cup milk and 2 almonds soaked overnight and peeled. Breakfast: ½ cup bhaji with 1-2 pavs. Mid morning: 1 fresh fruit or 1 cup of fruit or vegetable juice or 1 cup of tomato or vegetable soup. Lunch : ½ cup kadhi, 1 cup rice, ½ cup aloo gobhi or aloo matar. Evening snack: 1 banana muffin with ½ cup milk. Dinner: ½ cup baked vegetables with cheese and 2 slices whole wheat bread. Thursday Early Morning: 1 cup milk. Breakfast: 1 stuffed parantha (potato, cauliflower, spinach, fenugreek). Mid morning: 1 fresh fruit or 1 cup of fruit or vegetable juice or 1 cup of tomato or vegetable soup. Lunch (Curd optional): 1 cup vegetable biryani, ½ cup curd, tomato chutney. Evening snack: ½ cup steamed peanut salad with tomatoes, onions, coriander and lemon juice. Dinner: ½ cup arhaar dal, ½ cup seasonal vegetables like arbi or gajar methi, 1 chapatti or 1 cup rice. Friday Early Morning: 1 cup milk and 2 almonds soaked overnight and peeled. Breakfast: ½ - 1 cup suji upma with vegetables such as beans, peans, carrots and coconut. Mid morning: 1 fresh fruit or 1 cup of fruit or vegetable juice or 1 cup of tomato or vegetable soup. Lunch (Curd optional): ½ cup rajma with 1 cup rice. Evening snack: 1 slice fruit/walnut bread with ½ cup milk. Dinner: 1 vegetable pizza with paneer, tomatoes, capsicum and cheese topping. Saturday Early Morning: 1 cup milk. Breakfast: 1-1 ½ moong dal cheela (Moong dal dosa) or plain ghee dosa with coriander chutney. Mid morning: 1 fresh fruit or 1 cup of fruit or vegetable juice or 1 cup of tomato or vegetable soup. Lunch (Curd optional): ½ cup choley and 1 bhatura, ½ cup finely chopped salad with cucumber, tomatoes, and carrots and lemon juice. Evening snack: Corn chaat. Dinner: 1 cheese parantha or chapatti stuffed with paneer and mix vegetables. Sunday Early Morning: 1 cup milk. Breakfast: Bread pizza/open toast with 2 slices whole wheat bread with paneer, onion and tomato topping. Mid morning: 1 fresh fruit or 1 cup of fruit or vegetable juice or 1 cup of tomato or vegetable soup. Lunch : 1 cup whole wheat noodles and ½ cup sweet and sour vegetables. Evening snack: 2 small Aloo tikkis (home made). Dinner: 1 cup pasta in tomato sauce with beans, cauliflower and carrots. Do get back to me if you need any further assistance, will be glad to assist you. Take Care Best Regards Dr Deepak Kishore MBBS,MS,MCH

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