New Now consulting in person at Yashoda Hospital, Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad  ·  Tue, Thu & Sat · 6–8 PMIn person · Ghaziabad · Tue/Thu/Sat 6–8 PM
Online Paediatric Service

Nutrition &
Feeding

From the first spoon (or the first fistful) at six months to the picky-eating years: practical, evidence-based feeding support built around Indian food.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Chitrakshi Tewari, MD (Paediatrics)

Healthy eating starts with responsive feeding: breast milk or formula for the first six months, then a gradual move to solids and family foods, including baby-led weaning, from around six months per WHO guidance. Picky eating is common and usually improves with patience and structure. Dr. Chitrakshi Tewari offers online nutrition consultations for starting solids, fussy eaters and balanced Indian diets.

The foundations, straight from the evidence

WHO guidance is clear and simple: exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, then safe, adequate complementary foods from six months alongside continued breastfeeding up to two years or beyond. Within that frame there is enormous room for your family's own food culture, and that is exactly where good feeding support lives: dal, curd, khichdi, eggs, fruit and family meals, not imported superfoods.

Specialised training in paediatric nutrition

Beyond her MD Paediatrics, Dr. Tewari has completed the Post Graduate Program in Paediatric Nutrition (PGPN PRO) from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, so your child's feeding plan is guided by dedicated, up-to-date nutrition expertise.

What we work on together

Starting solids at 6 months: textures, schedules, safe first foods
Baby led weaning and responsive spoon feeding
Introducing allergens (egg, peanut, dairy) confidently
Picky eating and mealtime battles
Iron, vitamin D and other nutrient gaps common in Indian diets
Healthy weight: both faltering growth and excess gain

Picky eating, handled without battles

Almost every toddler goes through food refusal; it is developmentally normal. The evidence-backed approach is division of responsibility: you decide what, when and where food is offered, your child decides whether and how much to eat. Repeated, pressure-free exposure (often 10 to 15 tries) is how new foods get accepted. We build a plan that keeps mealtimes calm and growth on track, and we verify it on the growth chart, not on guilt.

Baby led weaning, done safely

BLW means offering soft, graspable finger foods from six months so babies feed themselves. Done correctly, with safe textures and shapes and a supervised, seated baby, it builds chewing skills and food confidence. My Starting Solids workshop covers gagging versus choking, allergens and safe Indian first foods in depth.

Sources & further reading

  1. World Health Organization, complementary feeding guidance.
  2. World Health Organization, breastfeeding recommendations.
  3. Indian Academy of Pediatrics, infant and young child feeding resources.

This page draws on the standard international sources above. It is educational and does not replace personalised advice from your child's doctor.

Dr. Chitrakshi Tewari, paediatrician
Medically reviewed by Dr. Chitrakshi Tewari
MD Paediatrics (LHMC & Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital, Delhi) · Gold Medalist · PGPN Paediatric Nutrition Certified (Boston University) · Online consultations across India
Some things need a hands-on look, now consulting in person in Ghaziabad.

A latch checked in real time, a full feed observed, an accurate weight taken on the same scale each visit: these are easier face to face. Dr. Chitrakshi consults in person at Yashoda Hospital & Research Centre, Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad on Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday, 6:00–8:00 PM, for babies and children birth to 18 years and for pregnant, peripartum and postpartum mothers. Charges as per hospital OPD rates. Clinic details & directions

Book In Person

Worried about your child's nutrition?

Talk it through with a paediatrician, online, from anywhere in India.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Questions parents ask

Every child is different. If your question is not answered here, ask it in a consultation, that is exactly what they are for.

Good first foods are iron-rich and easy to eat, such as mashed dal, well-cooked and mashed vegetables, ragi or rice porridge, soft fruit like banana or steamed apple, and mashed egg. Offer one new food at a time. Iron matters most from six months, so include iron-rich foods early.
Offer a variety of foods regularly without pressure, keep mealtimes calm and screen-free, eat together, and let your child decide how much to eat. It can take many tries before a child accepts a new food, so keep offering without forcing. Most picky eating improves with time and patience.
Children's appetites vary a lot from day to day, and that is normal. Rather than fixed portions, follow your child's hunger and fullness cues, offer balanced meals and snacks at regular times, and trust steady growth on the chart as the best sign they are eating enough.
Avoid honey in the first year, added salt and sugar, whole nuts and other choking hazards, and unpasteurised products. Limit juice and ultra-processed snacks. Introduce common allergens like egg and peanut, in a safe smooth form, from around six months rather than delaying, unless your doctor advises otherwise.
At around six months, when your baby can sit with support, has good head control, and shows interest in food, in line with WHO guidance. Starting much earlier or much later both carry downsides, so timing genuinely matters.
Neither is 'better'; both can be done well. Many families mix the two. What matters is responsive feeding, safe textures, iron-rich foods from the start, and progressing textures steadily so chewing develops on time.
Toddlers' appetites naturally dip as growth slows after infancy, and intake varies wildly day to day. We judge nutrition by the week, not the meal, and confirm it on the growth chart. If the chart is steady, the child is getting enough, even when lunch was three bites.
Book Consultation