Nutrition

Calcium: Builds bones and teeth; needed for muscles, nerves and heart rhythm. Food sources include milk, dahi, paneer, small fish eaten with bones, green leafy vegetables, sesame (til).

Eat iron-rich foods (meat, liver, eggs, fish, dal, beans, green leafy vegetables) with vitamin C foods (amla, guava, citrus). Avoid tea or coffee with meals.

Fill half the plate with vegetables, a quarter with protein (dal, beans, eggs, fish, chicken) and a quarter with whole grains (brown rice, millet, roti). Limit white rice portions, sweets, sugary drinks and fried food.

Cut salt to less than 5 g a day (about one teaspoon), including achar, pickles and instant noodles. Eat more vegetables, fruits, dal and low-fat dairy; limit alcohol.

Dietary fibre: Supports digestion, blood sugar and cholesterol control. Food sources include whole grains (millet/kodo, brown rice, atta), dal, beans, vegetables, fruits.

Folate (folic acid): Needed to make DNA and red blood cells; prevents neural tube birth defects. Food sources include leafy greens, beans and lentils (dal), chickpeas (chana), liver, oranges.

Iodine: Needed for thyroid hormones, growth and brain development. Food sources include iodised salt (two-child logo salt in Nepal), dairy, eggs, seafood.

Iron: Carries oxygen in red blood cells; needed for growth and brain development. Food sources include meat, liver, fish, eggs, green leafy vegetables, dal, beans, jaggery (sakhar); vitamin C helps absorption, tea with meals reduces it.

Magnesium: Needed for muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bone health. Food sources include nuts, seeds, whole grains, leafy greens, beans.

Niacin (vitamin B3): Helps convert food into energy and keep skin and nerves healthy. Food sources include meat, fish, peanuts, whole grains, mushrooms.

Omega-3 fatty acids: Healthy fats for the heart and brain. Food sources include oily fish, walnuts, flaxseed (alsi), mustard oil.

Potassium: Keeps nerves, muscles and heart working and helps control blood pressure. Food sources include bananas, potatoes, beans, dal, tomatoes, leafy greens, coconut water.

Riboflavin (vitamin B2): Helps energy production and cell growth. Food sources include milk, dahi, eggs, meat, green vegetables.

Selenium: An antioxidant needed for thyroid function. Food sources include fish, eggs, meat, whole grains, nuts.

Thiamin (vitamin B1): Helps turn food into energy; needed by nerves and heart. Food sources include whole grains, unpolished rice, pulses, nuts, pork.

Vitamin A: Needed for vision (especially at night), immunity, growth and healthy skin. Food sources include liver, eggs, milk, ghee; orange and dark green vegetables and fruits such as carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, saag (spinach, rayo), mango, papaya.

Vitamin B12: Needed for nerves, red blood cells and DNA. Food sources include meat, fish, eggs, milk, dahi; not found in plant foods unless fortified.

Vitamin B6: Needed for metabolism, nerves and immunity. Food sources include chickpeas, fish, potatoes, bananas, poultry.

Vitamin C: An antioxidant needed for wound healing, gums and iron absorption. Food sources include amla, guava, citrus fruits (suntala, kagati), tomatoes, potatoes, green chillies, leafy greens.

Vitamin D: Helps absorb calcium for strong bones and supports muscles. Food sources include sunlight on skin; oily fish, egg yolks, fortified milk.

Vitamin E: An antioxidant that protects cells. Food sources include nuts, seeds, vegetable oils (mustard oil, sunflower), green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin K: Needed for blood clotting and bone health. Food sources include green leafy vegetables (saag, rayo, cabbage), broccoli, soybeans.

Zinc: Supports immunity, growth and wound healing. Food sources include meat, seafood, dairy, beans, nuts, whole grains.