Should I force my child to finish their plate?

No. Forcing a child to eat can create negative associations with food and disrupt their natural hunger cues. Offer healthy choices, and let them decide how much they want to eat.

Is it okay for kids to eat ghee and butter?

Yes! Unlike adults who may need to restrict fats, growing children (especially under the age of 5) need healthy fats for brain development and energy. Ghee, butter, and full-fat milk are excellent for them.

Diet Chart for Kids India | Nutrition for Children

Building Blocks of Growth

Childhood is a critical window for physical growth and brain development. Children have incredibly high metabolic needs, meaning they require nutrient-dense foods, not just empty calories from sugary snacks.

This 7-day Indian diet chart is designed to provide the right balance of complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, high-quality proteins for muscle and tissue repair, and healthy fats (like ghee and nuts) which are absolutely essential for cognitive (brain) development in early years.

Day	Breakfast (8:00 AM)	Lunch (1:00 PM)	Snack (4:30 PM)	Dinner (8:00 PM)
Monday	Paneer stuffed paratha (cooked in ghee) + 1 glass of warm milk.	2 soft rotis + 1 bowl of non-spicy rajma (kidney beans) + 1 cup carrot and peas sabzi.	Fruit bowl (apple and banana) + handful of roasted peanuts.	Vegetable khichdi with a dollop of ghee + fresh curd.
Tuesday	Oatmeal porridge cooked in milk with honey and raisins + 1 boiled egg.	1 portion rice + 1 bowl of yellow moong dal + 1 cup spinach (palak) sabzi.	Homemade besan ladoo or panjiri + 1 glass of milk.	2 rotis + 1 bowl mild chicken curry (or paneer bhurji).
Wednesday	Poha with plenty of peanuts, peas, and potatoes + 1 glass of fresh orange juice.	2 stuffed aloo parathas with curd.	Sweet potato chaat (boiled and mildly spiced) + handful of almonds.	Vegetable pulao with soya chunks + cucumber raita.
Thursday	2 moong dal chillas + 1 glass of milk.	2 rotis + 1 bowl of black chana + 1 cup lauki (bottle gourd) sabzi.	Homemade fruit smoothie (banana, milk, and a spoon of peanut butter).	2 rotis + 1 bowl of fish curry (remove bones) OR thick dal makhani.
Friday	2 boiled eggs + 2 slices of whole wheat bread with butter.	1 portion rice + 1 bowl of mixed vegetable sambar + 1 cup cabbage sabzi.	1 cup roasted makhana (fox nuts) + 1 apple.	Homemade vegetable pasta (use whole wheat pasta and load it with hidden veggies in the sauce).
Saturday	Vegetable upma + 1 glass of milk.	2 rotis + 1 bowl egg curry (or mild chhole) + side of grated carrot salad.	1 cup buttermilk (chaas) + 2 dates.	Vegetable dalia (broken wheat) cooked in pressure cooker with lots of veggies.
Sunday	Idli with non-spicy sambar and coconut chutney.	Chicken Biryani (or Paneer Biryani) + cucumber raita.	Homemade paneer sandwich (grilled) + 1 glass fresh fruit juice.	Light vegetable soup + 2 rotis with any leftover dal/sabzi.

Day

Breakfast (8:00 AM)

Lunch (1:00 PM)

Snack (4:30 PM)

Dinner (8:00 PM)

Monday

Paneer stuffed paratha (cooked in ghee) + 1 glass of warm milk.

2 soft rotis + 1 bowl of non-spicy rajma (kidney beans) + 1 cup carrot and peas sabzi.

Fruit bowl (apple and banana) + handful of roasted peanuts.

Vegetable khichdi with a dollop of ghee + fresh curd.

Tuesday

Oatmeal porridge cooked in milk with honey and raisins + 1 boiled egg.

1 portion rice + 1 bowl of yellow moong dal + 1 cup spinach (palak) sabzi.

Homemade besan ladoo or panjiri + 1 glass of milk.

2 rotis + 1 bowl mild chicken curry (or paneer bhurji).

Wednesday

Poha with plenty of peanuts, peas, and potatoes + 1 glass of fresh orange juice.

2 stuffed aloo parathas with curd.

Sweet potato chaat (boiled and mildly spiced) + handful of almonds.

Vegetable pulao with soya chunks + cucumber raita.

Thursday

2 moong dal chillas + 1 glass of milk.

2 rotis + 1 bowl of black chana + 1 cup lauki (bottle gourd) sabzi.

Homemade fruit smoothie (banana, milk, and a spoon of peanut butter).

2 rotis + 1 bowl of fish curry (remove bones) OR thick dal makhani.

Friday

2 boiled eggs + 2 slices of whole wheat bread with butter.

1 portion rice + 1 bowl of mixed vegetable sambar + 1 cup cabbage sabzi.

1 cup roasted makhana (fox nuts) + 1 apple.

Homemade vegetable pasta (use whole wheat pasta and load it with hidden veggies in the sauce).

Saturday

Vegetable upma + 1 glass of milk.

2 rotis + 1 bowl egg curry (or mild chhole) + side of grated carrot salad.

1 cup buttermilk (chaas) + 2 dates.

Vegetable dalia (broken wheat) cooked in pressure cooker with lots of veggies.

Sunday

Idli with non-spicy sambar and coconut chutney.

Chicken Biryani (or Paneer Biryani) + cucumber raita.

Homemade paneer sandwich (grilled) + 1 glass fresh fruit juice.

Light vegetable soup + 2 rotis with any leftover dal/sabzi.

Key Nutrients to Focus On

Calcium and Vitamin D are critical as children are rapidly building their bone mass. Ensure they get enough dairy and sunlight exposure. Iron is also vital for cognitive development; iron deficiency in children can lead to poor concentration and learning difficulties. Pair iron-rich foods (like spinach or meat) with Vitamin C (like lemon juice) to maximize absorption.

Expert Paediatric Care in Noida

If your child is consistently refusing to eat, falling behind on growth charts, or experiencing frequent stomach aches/diarrhea, they may have an underlying food allergy or gastrointestinal issue.

Schedule a consultation with our dedicated Paediatrics team at Prakash Hospital for a comprehensive growth assessment and vaccination review.

Articles on Kids

Immunizing kids: Keeping the future safe

Learn how to protect your children from disease with this guide to immunisation of children and the guidance of experts from Prakash Hospital, Noida.

27 Aug 2025

by Prakash Hospital

Building Healthy Eating Habits in Kids

Learn how to build healthy eating habits in kids with fun, practical tips for parents. Encourage balanced nutrition, reduce picky eating and make food fun!

31 Oct 2025

by Prakash Hospital