Bache Ko Mota Karne Ke Liye Kya Khilaye: Foods for 1 to 6
Add energy from real food to meals a child already eats: ghee on roti, full fat dahi, paneer and egg, not syrups or powders. If a child is losing weight or cannot gain even while eating, see a doctor before you change the diet.
This is family food with more energy, not a gain diet. The advice runs in two age bands, ages 1 to 3 and ages 3 to 6, and nothing here is for babies under 1, who need their own weaning guidance.
At a glance
- First step: check the weight on a growth chart over several months, not on one weigh in.
- Ages 1 to 3: whole milk as a main drink, ghee in measured spoons, and three meals with two snacks.
- Ages 3 to 6: the same family food in bigger portions, with smooth nut butter spread thinly, and no whole nuts under 5 because of choking.
- Never: unlabelled tonics and powders, because a June 2026 Punjab alert found dexamethasone, a prescription steroid, in a capsule sold as an alternative medicine.
- Remember: Energy from real food on the plate beats any powder in the cupboard.
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Is the child actually underweight?
Start with the chart, not a guess. For US clinical settings, the CDC recommends WHO growth standard charts from birth to age 2 and CDC growth charts from age 2 to 20, and it says to monitor growth over time.
- Weigh and measure the child at regular intervals, on the same scale, at the same time of day.
- Plot each reading on the right chart for the age: WHO under 2, CDC from 2.
- Look at the line across several months. A child who keeps a steady line is usually growing well, even if they look slim beside a cousin.
- If the line is falling, or the child does not gain even while eating, see a doctor before changing the diet.
What energy can go into everyday food?
These are additions to food the child already eats, in food amounts, not medicine amounts.
- One teaspoon of ghee on a roti, or stirred into dal or khichdi.
- Full fat dahi and paneer. NHS Wales recommends full fat dairy up to age 2 for energy, so after 2 ask a doctor or dietitian which milk to use.
- One fully cooked egg at a meal, or a small omelette.
- Smooth nut butter spread thinly on toast or stirred into porridge. Whole nuts, including peanuts, should not be given under 5 because of choking.
- Potato added to dal, or banana with a spoon of malai at snack time.
How many meals and snacks should a child have?
A simple pattern is three meals and two snacks a day. Offer each snack well before the next meal, so the child still arrives at the table hungry.
Insider tip: add fat to food already liked
Stir one teaspoon of ghee or smooth nut butter into the food the child already enjoys, rather than introducing new foods during a push to add weight. A snack that sits too close to a meal can leave the plate half full, so keep the gap.
How much milk is enough?
Whole cows milk can be given as a main drink from age 1, according to NHS Wales. The same page gives a minimum of at least 350 ml (12 oz) a day, or two servings of foods made from milk, and sets no upper figure. Offer milk between meals rather than as a replacement for them, so the food still gets eaten.
Are syrups, powders and tonics a shortcut?
No. A tonic or powder with no clear label can hide a drug. In June 2026 the Punjab Directorate of Drugs Control issued an alert on a capsule sold as an alternative medicine, as reported on 25 June. Testing found dexamethasone, a prescription corticosteroid, in it. The recall and stop sale orders were directed at manufacturers, distributors and retailers, but the lesson for a parent is the same: a label you cannot check is not a safe way to add weight. Before buying anything, read Bacha Khana Nahi Khata: A Checklist Before Appetite Tonics, and for the wider picture see Healthy Weight Gain Without Powders: An Honest Desi Food Plan.
What if the child still does not gain?
Go back to the doctor rather than adding another product. Get a same day check for repeated vomiting, blood in the stool, refusing all fluids or a weight that keeps falling across the chart lines. For a child who is slim but steady on the chart and eats well, the next step is usually family food with a growth check, not a gain plan. A picky child who leaves meals may find Bacha Khana Nahi Khata: Picky Eaters 1 to 6, What Works Without Force useful, and Is My Child Growing Well? Height, Weight and Head at Home covers measuring at home.
See a doctor before changing the diet if a child is losing weight, has not gained despite eating, vomits often, has blood in the stool, is unusually tired or refuses meals. Do not give a gain powder, appetite syrup or tonic, and do not give an appetite tablet without a doctor’s advice. A child who is growing steadily needs food, sleep and a regular growth check, and a doctor should decide on anything added to the diet.
Your questions on child weight and family food, answered
How can a parent tell if a child needs to gain weight?
Check the weight on a growth chart over several months, because one reading tells you little. A child who keeps a steady line is usually growing well, and a falling line needs a doctor.
Which growth chart is used under age 2?
The CDC recommends WHO growth standard charts from birth to age 2 in US clinical settings, and CDC growth charts take over from age 2 to 20.
Does ghee on roti help a child with a small appetite?
It can. A teaspoon adds fat and energy, which young children need (NHS Wales), in a small amount of food, which suits a child who eats little at each meal.
Can a child under 6 take a gain powder or appetite syrup?
Not without a doctor. A June 2026 Punjab alert found dexamethasone, a prescription steroid, in a capsule sold as an alternative medicine, and unlabelled products can hide drugs.
How much milk should a two year old drink?
The NHS Wales page gives a minimum of at least 350 ml a day, or two servings of foods made from milk, and sets no upper figure.
Can a child under 5 eat whole nuts or peanuts?
No. Whole nuts, including peanuts, should not be given to children under 5 because they can choke.
Is whole milk right for a one year old?
Yes. Whole cows milk can be given as a main drink from age 1, according to NHS Wales.
Can a four year old have ghee and nut butter?
Yes, in food amounts such as one teaspoon of ghee or a thin smear of smooth nut butter, as part of family meals.
Does a thin child always need a gain plan?
No. A child growing steadily along their own line usually needs family food and a growth check, not a gain plan.
Which signs mean a child needs a doctor rather than a diet change?
A weight that keeps falling, no gain despite eating, repeated vomiting, blood in the stool, refusing all fluids or constant tiredness all need a doctor first.
More in Bachon Ki Sehat and Desi Weight Gain.