Diet Chart for 7 Year Old Child: A Balanced and Budget-Friendly Guide

A balanced diet chart for 7 year old child is essential to support proper growth, development and immunity. Kids have high energy levels, fluctuating appetite and their bodies grow quickly. A well-balanced diet chart for 7 year old child can provide the essential nutrients in adequate amounts to meet their nutritional requirements. A sample Indian balanced diet chart for 7 year old child can help you prepare meals that not only provide optimum nutrition but also suit the taste preferences of your growing child. Furthermore, understanding how to prepare meals in a budget-friendly way and knowing what foods to avoid in the child’s diet can acquaint you with other aspects of meal planning.

Nutritional Needs of a 7-Year-Old Child

Ideal body weight for a 7 year old child is 25 kg. A 7 year old child needs an adequate quantity of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) for balanced nutrition and better learning.^1,2 The daily nutritional needs include approximately 1700 kcal/day, 130g/day of carbohydrates, 23g/day of protein, and 30g/day of fats from cooking oil.¹ The energy and protein requirements may vary according to the activity level of the child.

An adequate amount of calcium (650mg/day) for healthy development of bones and teeth, and iron (15mg/day) to prevent anemia, is also equally important as a part of balanced diet chart for 7 year old child.³

Other nutrients like vitamin A, C, B-Complex and D are also needed to support eyesight, brain functioning and immunity. The following food sources in an Indian balanced diet chart for 7 year old child can provide these nutrients:

• Whole grains, millets, vegetables and fruits- carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals.
• Dairy foods, pulses, eggs, chicken and fish – protein
• Nuts and seeds- healthy fats.
• Dairy foods – calcium, vitamin B2,vitamin B12 and vitamin D

Sample Balanced Diet Chart for 7-Year-Old Child

Here is a balanced diet chart that includes commonly available Indian foods to support nutritional needs for your 7 year old child.

Packed lunchbox ideas for school

Dal chilla pockets with vegetable filling and paneer/minced chicken for protein

OR

Vegetable pulao (add sprouts/egg/paneer/soya granules)

OR

Daliya paneer cutlets (Add vegetables)

OR

Moong tikki/Matki tikki

Budget-Friendly Tips for Healthy Eating

One doesn’t necessarily have to use expensive ingredients to prepare a healthy meal. With planning, you can effectively create a nutritious Indian balanced diet chart for 7 year old child with foods used in daily cooking. Here are some simple ways to stick to a balanced diet chart for 7 year old child that is budget-friendly.

• Purchase seasonal and local produce: Buy fresh fruits and vegetables in season; they are easily available, cheaper and packed with a variety of nutrients.
• Use whole grain cereals and millets: Opt for whole wheat flour, unpolished rice, millets like ragi and jowar instead of refined cereals and products to provide your child with fiber and sufficient energy to get through the day.
• Include affordable protein: Lentils, legumes, soybean, soy granules/chunks, eggs and homemade paneer are economical and high protein foods.
• Store healthy snacks: Replace expensive packaged snacks with homemade options like roasted chana peanuts, puffed rice chiwda, corn-on-the-cob, peanuts and whole fruits.

Foods to Avoid in a 7-Year-Old’s Diet

A child’s diet should not include foods that lack nutritional value and are high in unhealthy fats, sugar and salt. Foods to exclude from a balanced diet chart for 7 year old child are as follows⁴:

• Deep fried foods, chips, wafers, refined foods add excess calories with no/low nutrients and can also cause digestive discomfort.
• Sugary drinks such as soft drinks and carbonated beverages can cause dental problems. They may also contain caffeine that interferes with nutrient absorption, and sleep and thus are not recommended for children.

Hence, if your child craves junk foods, offer healthier homemade alternatives instead.

Tips for Parents

As a role model for kids, focus on implementing healthy eating habits as a parent to set a standard for them. Teaching your child how to eat healthily should commence when they are young so that they can benefit from this practice later in life.⁵ Some tips are as follows⁴:

• Encourage meal time to be a screen-free family time.
• Make meals visually appealing to kids. Get creative- decorate their plates or cut fruits and veggies in interesting shapes.
• Involve kids in meal planning and preparation. Accompanying grocery shopping can help them understand food, where it comes from and whether it is healthy. Simple tasks like sorting and washing vegetables can also make them feel engaged.
• Restrict storing unhealthy items in the house, for example, aerated beverages in the refrigerator.
• Instill a habit of washing hands before cooking, serving, and eating meals.

Conclusion

A well-balanced diet chart for 7 year old child is essential to support growth and adequate development reducing the risk of deficiencies, undernutrition and disease risk. While food is the primary source of nourishment, at times you may be unable to meet nutritional needs through foods alone. Nutritional drinks like Complan, can be a valuable addition in the Indian balanced diet chart for 7 year old child, as it contains 63% more protein than other malt-based drinks and a total of 34 vital nutrients.

Try the lip smacking flavours of Complan now. Order from quick delivery stores like Zepto, BlinkIt, Swiggy Instamart or even the Zydus India website, Amazon and Flipkart