Home > Health > Question

Sign In | Create an account

Language:

Now in हिन्दी too

Need Expert Advice?Our Gurus Can Help

My 4-Year-Old Won't Eat Fruits or Veggies: Should I Worry?

Dr Deepa Suvarna |171 Answers |Ask -Follow

Paediatrician - Answered on Dec 25, 2024

Dr Deepa Suvarna is a practising paediatrician with 25 years of experience. She completed her MD in paediatrics from the TN Medical College and BYL Nair Hospital, MBBS from the King Edward Memorial Hospital and Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College and diploma in child health from the College of Physicians and Surgeons.... more

Asked by Anonymous - Dec 23, 2024Hindi

Health

Hello Doctor, my daughter Anaya, is 4 years old. She’s super active and cheerful, but I’ve noticed that she’s been a bit fussy with her eating. She used to love fruits and veggies, but now it’s a struggle to get her to eat anything that’s not plain rice or biscuits. I’m worried she’s not getting the nutrients she needs for her growth. Also, I’ve heard a lot of parents talk about giving kids multivitamins or supplements, but I’m unsure if that’s really necessary or just a trend. Can you help me understand if her eating habits are just a phase or if I should be concerned? What can I do to make sure she’s eating healthy without turning every meal into a battle? Thanks in advance

Ans: Donot offer processed stuff especially if sweet like biscuits as a food substitute. Be consistent with meal times and no snacks to be offered in between. This includes sweet drinks like juices too. Junk food to be allowed only once a week or two weeks of she has been eating a balanced diet through the week. So no chocolates on a daily basis. Once you do this, she will start getting hungry. Then only give her a balanced diet even if she resists. It doesn't matter if she eats less than what you think should be eaten.

DISCLAIMER: The answer provided by rediffGURUS is for informational and general awareness purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or treatment.

You may like to see similar questions and answers below

Aruna Agarwal | Answer |Ask -Follow

Child and Parenting Counsellor - Answered on May 16, 2023

Question by Prayagraj - May 15, 2023Hindi

Health

hello mam,my 2 yr old (girl) doesn't eat anything except daal rice,we hv tried a lot of diff techniques to feed her different items but she spits it out.is this normal in 2 yr olds? what shud I do to get her to eat different varieties food like other children?

Ans: The little girl can be given other food as a trial in very little quantity initially, just to develop the taste buds and liking for them .As minute as a small grain kind of quantity. It should help her to develop the taste buds. Also check if her oro motor muscles are developed.

Dr Deepa Suvarna |171 Answers |Ask -Follow

Paediatrician - Answered on Aug 08, 2023

Question by Ramchandra - Aug 06, 2023Hindi

Health

Dr Madam Namaskara , My daughter 14 years studying in class 9 , she is about 5 feet 9 inches weighs about 48 - 52 kgs , athletic built , plays football as a striker for school and national level and extremely active her diet intake is perfect we are pure vegetarian no eggs also, her morning starts with 10ml aloe vera juice with warm water , a small spoon of Amala + triphala + jeera powder with honey and a banana , she carries breakfast poha upma dosa idli to school which her mother makes , she eats lunch at school canteen , and when home at 3 pm she eats biscuits or some snacks or dal chawal or curd rice which she likes , night she has 4 phulkas , veg + khichdi . She does not have milk products like tea or coffee , this diet she is following since 3-4 years , but recently say since 2-3 months she is complaining if burning sensation in chest , burps and flatulence and causing her distress , my md Physician throughly examined her and concluded acidity n gas problem , he started 1 tab pan d for 5 days and she feels a lot better ,now he's asked us to continue for another 5 days and then stop , I am sure it's the school canteen food as we in the family don't experience this , what is to be done apart from stopping the school canteen food which could be a culprit please advice I am getting worried as it disturbs her .

Ans: Oily food cooked in re heated oil is the usual reason. Banana and curd helps. Avoid milk on empty stomach

Dr Deepa Suvarna |171 Answers |Ask -Follow

Paediatrician - Answered on Jan 15, 2024

Question by Vikas - Jan 14, 2024Hindi

Health

Hi My Daughter is 6 Years Old. She is very slow eater and eats very small portion of Food. Her weight is 14 Kg and Height is also low. Kindly suggest how to improve her Food intake and height?

Ans: She will need to be examined for anemia and other nutritional deficiencies. Blood tests may be needed too
My advice is no TV or phone during meal time and no junk food in between meals especially sweet things

Dr Deepa Suvarna |171 Answers |Ask -Follow

Paediatrician - Answered on May 12, 2024

Question by Mohit - May 12, 2024Hindi

Health

Dear madam, my daughter is 1.5 years old, weight 9.3kg. Weight at the time of birth was 3.2kg. She is not on mother's feed. She does not find home food attractive and it takes a lot of effort for us to make her eat one meal in a day. We are trying everything possible. She hasn't started walking yet, only crawling. What could be done madam? Shall we start multivitamin?

Ans: Over dependence on bottle feeds could be the most likely reason. Reduce milk intake by offering milk in a cup or sipper. Offer different home cooked items when she asks for the bottle .She will need iron and vitamin supplements too.

Dr Deepa Suvarna |171 Answers |Ask -Follow

Paediatrician - Answered on Jun 20, 2024

Asked by Anonymous - Jun 20, 2024Hindi

Health

"Dear Health Expert, I'm concerned about my 16-year-old son's health. He's 6.1 feet tall and weighs 94 kg, which he believes is overweight. As a result, he's started eating less or even skipping meals altogether. I'm worried this could lead to nutrient deficiencies or other health issues. Please advise on: - A healthy weight range for his age and height - The appropriate calorie intake for his growth needs - Tips to encourage balanced eating habits - Any potential risks associated with his current approach Thank you for your guidance and support. Best regards,

Ans: For a 16 year old, it would be best if the weight is below 90kg. 80-85 is good unless he is heavily into sports and has a lot of muscle mass. Check for abdominal fat which is bad and needs to be worked on
Diet should be free of junk, processed and aerated or sweet drinks. Incorporation of vegetables, fruits ,whole grains esp millets will be good. Regular physical activity, aerobic plus strength training depending on his schedule.

Latest Questions

Reetika Sharma |459 Answers |Ask -Follow

Financial Planner, MF and Insurance Expert - Answered on Dec 24, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Dec 22, 2025Hindi

Money

I am 34 years old, married, with no children yet, but we plan to start a family by the end of 2026. Our monthly household take-home income is 4.4 lakh. We have cumulative EMIs of 1.50 lakhs per month: (1) Home Loan (1 Cr Outstanding, 9 years left): 1.1 lacs per month, (2) Car Loan (8 lacs outstanding 4 years left): 25k per month (3) Personal Loan (4 years left) - 15k per month. Our investments include 50 lakh in stocks and mutual funds, and 30 lakh in PF. I have a term plan with cover till age 85, costing additional 1.3 lakh per year in premium for next 7 years. Me and my wife are covered by our employer for medical insurance, and our parents will also have PSU pension and medical cover after retirement. We spend around 1.2 lakh per month on household expenses in Gurgaon. We invest 1 lakh monthly having 20-90 split in stocks and MFs and keep 2 lakh in an emergency savings account. My long-term goal is to pay off all loans, build a financial buffer to move back to my hometown a tier 2 city and do remote work from there - this might reduce our househol income by 30-40%. Given these details, how should I plan our investments to achieve the goals and how many years are we looking to achieve this?

Ans: Hi,

You have done great investments at such age. Let us go through the details one by one:
1. You have a term cover and health insurance for yourself as well as family.
2. You should have emergency fund of 6 months' worth expenses in liquid mutual funds for uncertain times, 2 lakhs is way too less.
3. Currently 3 loans - Home, Car and Personal. All loans will be finished in 9 and 4 years respectively(total EMI - 1.5 lakhs). Overall loans are high. Try to close PErsonal loand first followed by car loan to reduce the EMI burden.
4. 50 lakhs current holdings in stocks and mutual funds.
5. 30 lakhs in PF.
6. 1.4 lakh monthly expenses.
7. Current SIP - 1 lakh permonth in stocks and mutual funds.

You have build a great wealth for yourself at your age. You are also planning to start a family. Keep your invesments like this with consistency and you will finish loans and be able to move to your home as well.

Although direct stock investment needs loads of time and research - hence not recommended. It is advisable for you to keep your investments limited to mutual funds only. And it would be great to take a professional's help as even a slightest mistake can break or make your wealth.

Before relocating after few years, try to maximize your investments at the maximum potential and let compounding do its magic. Try to invest more than 1 lakh per month in mutual funds for a secured future.

Doing and managing investments along with your job is not recommended. It is always better to go for professional advice when it comes to money.

You can connect with a professional Certified Financial Planner - a CFP who can guide you with exact funds to invest in keeping in mind your age, requirements, financial goals and risk profile. A CFP periodically reviews your portfolio and suggest any amendments to be made, if required.

Let me know if you need more help.

Best Regards,
Reetika Sharma, Certified Financial Planner
https://www.instagram.com/cfpreetika/

Reetika Sharma |459 Answers |Ask -Follow

Financial Planner, MF and Insurance Expert - Answered on Dec 24, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Dec 16, 2025Hindi

Money

Hello Advait sir, I am 48 year having privet Job. I have started investment from 2017, current value of investment is 82L and having monthly 50K SIP as below. My goal to have 2.5Cr corpus at the age of 58. Please advice... 1. Nippon India small cap -Growth Rs 5,000 2. Sundaram Mid Cap fund Regular plan-Growth Rs 5,000 3. ICICI Prudential Small Cap- Growth Rs 10,000 4. ICICI Prudential Large Cap fund-Growth Rs 5,000 5. ICICI Prudential Balanced Adv. fund-Growth Rs 5,000 6. DSP Small Cap fund Regular Growth Rs 5,000 7. Nippn India Pharma Fund- Growth Rs 5,000 8. SBI focused Fund Regular plan- Growth Rs 5,000 9. SBI Dynamic Asset Allocation Active FoF-Regular-Growth Rs 5,000

Ans: Hi,

It is great that you are investing since 2017. Long investments and patience always gives results.
You can easily achieve your goal corpus by the time you turn 58, if investment done correctly.

The funds you mentioned have so much overlapping and scattered. It needs rework and complete reallocation. Maximum of 5 funds should be there. Take the help of a professional to align your portfolio with your goal and customized profile.

A random portfolio like yours can create an opposite impact and generate negative to zero returns.

And try to increase the monthly SIP by 10% each year. This will take care of inflation power.

Hence do consult a professional Certified Financial Planner - a CFP who can guide you with exact funds to invest in keeping in mind your age, requirements, financial goals and risk profile. A CFP periodically reviews your portfolio and suggest any amendments to be made, if required.

Let me know if you need more help.

Best Regards,
Reetika Sharma, Certified Financial Planner
https://www.instagram.com/cfpreetika/

Reetika Sharma |459 Answers |Ask -Follow

Financial Planner, MF and Insurance Expert - Answered on Dec 24, 2025

Question by Rajesh - Dec 15, 2025Hindi

Money

Hello and namaskar.. I am 36 years old. Need your guidance in the following funds- (a) parag parekh flexi cap - 7500/- per month (B) GROWW nifty midcap 150 index fund -2500/- per month (C) mirae asset ELLS tax saver -5000/- (D) pGIM india mid cap opp. Fund -5000/- (E) quant small cap fund-4000/- (F) ICICI prudential equity and debt fund - 3000 (G) HDFC FLEXI CAP FUND - 4000 (H) Uti nifty 50 index fund - 5000 Additionally I want to invest 1lakh annually. Tell me where to invest this additional amount. These funds are ok or I should exit from any fund and invest in any other fund. I want to get 2 crore till the end of 2035. Am I going on the right track.

Ans: Hi Rajesh,

Appreciate your dedication in investing in mutual funds for long term. The funds selected by you are very random and not recommended for your goal. Overall investments are also not in alignment, this portfolio is a very random one.
Currently you are investing 36000 per month - keep your investments simple in largecap, midcap, smallcap and mutlicap fund. Keep additional 1 lakh as well in these funds.

You should consider exiting funds like quant and shift to more stable ones.

Your current funds are direct, but direct funds are over-rated. A random portfolio like this can instead give less returns than a professionally designed one. It is always better to go for a regular portfolio suggested by a professional. Proper funds with a designed dedicated plan will help you reach your goal of 2 crores in 10 years in an efficient way.

Hence do consult a professional Certified Financial Planner - a CFP who can guide you with exact funds to invest in keeping in mind your age, requirements, financial goals and risk profile. A CFP periodically reviews your portfolio and suggest any amendments to be made, if required.

Let me know if you need more help.

Best Regards,
Reetika Sharma, Certified Financial Planner
https://www.instagram.com/cfpreetika/

Reetika Sharma |459 Answers |Ask -Follow

Financial Planner, MF and Insurance Expert - Answered on Dec 24, 2025

Question by kiran - Dec 12, 2025Hindi

Money

canara roboc largecap found past 3 years how much return expected

Ans: Hi Kiran,

Avoid investing in these funds for a short term like 3 years. Although this is a good fund and gives an average of 14% XIRR, but investments should be done thoughtfully.

Best Regards,
Reetika Sharma, Certified Financial Planner
https://www.instagram.com/cfpreetika/

Reetika Sharma |459 Answers |Ask -Follow

Financial Planner, MF and Insurance Expert - Answered on Dec 24, 2025

Question by ebenser - Dec 11, 2025Hindi

Money

what is prospects of investments in SILVER?

Ans: Hi Ebenser,
Silver is a good investment for now and long term. Avoid any big lumpsum buys and go for small buys each month.

Also it is not a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket. Hence avoid investing everything in silver.
Gold and silver shall not exceed 10% of your total networth.

Let me know if you need more help.

Best Regards,
Reetika Sharma, Certified Financial Planner
https://www.instagram.com/cfpreetika/

Reetika Sharma |459 Answers |Ask -Follow

Financial Planner, MF and Insurance Expert - Answered on Dec 24, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Nov 28, 2025Hindi

Money

i am 49 yrs. currently invested Rs.13000 monthly in mutual fund. I want to invest more Rs.5000 monthly. pls suggest me. also i have Rs.20000 from FD, where to invest the amount pls suggest me.

Ans: Hi,

Investing everything in mutual funds is never a good idea.
- you should have an emergency fund of 3-6 months worth expenses in FD
- a term insurance and a health insurance is mandatory.

Once these conditions are fulfilled, invest additional 5000 in mutual funds. Share the existing funds in which you are doing SIP along with time horizon for me to guide you in a better way.

Let me know if you need more help.

Best Regards,
Reetika Sharma, Certified Financial Planner
https://www.instagram.com/cfpreetika/

Reetika Sharma |459 Answers |Ask -Follow

Financial Planner, MF and Insurance Expert - Answered on Dec 24, 2025

Question by KRISHNAMURTHY - Dec 10, 2025Hindi

Money

Hi, I am a retired person, 66 years of age. Our family has a MUTUAL FUND holding of around 65 lakhs invested mostly in equity funds. We all have a health insurance of Rs 3 lakhs each. We live in our own house and need about Rs 25,000/ month for our expenses, which we get every month by way of SWPs. My daughter has finished her studies , but still has not started earning. I can now invest around Rs 5000 per month in SIPs . Kindly advice me as to which fund I could invest in. Other should I invest in Gold ETFs? Do I need a Demat Account to do the later?

Ans: Hi Krishnamurthy,

It is very good that you have managed to do SWPs to cover your monthly expenses. For additional 5000 investment per month, you can split between the 2:
- 2500 in gold etf (you should have a demat for this)
- 2500 monthly SIP in a multi asset allocator fund.

If you do not want to open demat, can invest 2500 in gold mutual funds also.

Let me know if you need more help.

Best Regards,
Reetika Sharma, Certified Financial Planner
https://www.instagram.com/cfpreetika/

Reetika Sharma |459 Answers |Ask -Follow

Financial Planner, MF and Insurance Expert - Answered on Dec 24, 2025

Question by SURESH - Dec 17, 2025Hindi

Money

I am 62 years old and I forgot to apply for a monthly pension from EPFO, even though I worked for my previous company for 13 years. I am currently working for another company, but when I try to apply online, I don't see Form 10D; only Form 31 is showing, even though I have left my previous company. pls confirm me what is a issue.

Ans: Hi,

The issue is that you are still employed and online application for monthly pension i.e. Form 10D is available only after you have left service and updated your date of exit on the EPFO portal.
But as you are currently active with a new employer, the system only permits Form 31 for partial withdrawals.

Since you meet the requirements for a superannuation pension (age 62 with 13 years of service), please follow these steps to proceed:

1. Verify Your Service History - Check the "Service History" section of your UAN portal. Ensure your previous employer has officially updated your Date of Exit. The online system cannot process a pension claim without this status update.
2. Use the Offline Application Method - If the online portal remains restricted or encounters technical errors, you must submit a physical application.
* Download Form 10D: Obtain the hard copy from the official EPFO website.
* Employer Attestation: Complete the form and have it signed by your previous employer.
* Alternative Attestation: If your previous employer is unavailable or the company has closed, you may have the form attested by a Gazetted Officer, a Magistrate, or your Bank Manager.
3. Submission Details - Submit the signed form to your regional EPFO office along with the following:
* Three passport-sized photographs.
* A cancelled cheque (for the account where you wish to receive the pension).
* Valid proof of age.

For real-time status updates or specific account queries, you can reach the **EPFO helpline at 14470.

Let me know if you need more help.

Best Regards,
Reetika Sharma, Certified Financial Planner
https://www.instagram.com/cfpreetika/

Reetika Sharma |459 Answers |Ask -Follow

Financial Planner, MF and Insurance Expert - Answered on Dec 24, 2025

Question by Bhogu - Dec 11, 2025Hindi

Money

Dear Sir, Kindly enlighten me as to how long one can park ( years ) MFs in growth investments. Do they need to be renewed periodically? Do they lapse on long period of investments?

Ans: Hi Bhogu,

You can park for indefinite period. There is no renewal necessary and there is no lapse. On death of the holder, your family can claim those investments if they have the details.

But since you are a new investor, avoid investing in random funds and take a professionals help.
Do consult a professional Certified Financial Planner - a CFP who can guide you with exact funds to invest in keeping in mind your age, requirements, financial goals and risk profile. A CFP periodically reviews your portfolio and suggest any amendments to be made, if required.

Let me know if you need more help.

Best Regards,
Reetika Sharma, Certified Financial Planner
https://www.instagram.com/cfpreetika/

Reetika Sharma |459 Answers |Ask -Follow

Financial Planner, MF and Insurance Expert - Answered on Dec 24, 2025

Question by deepa - Nov 28, 2025Hindi

Money

I have invested in Quant Small Cap, Quant Infrastructure and Quant Large and Midcap through SIP route. This is almost 18 months and I have never found these 3 on positive so far. Please suggest if I can stop and switch to some one. I plan these SIPs for a time frame of 3 yrs. Best

Ans: Hi,

These funds are not recommended. You can redeem these funds and invest in better funds available. And avoid investing in such random funds yourself. Instead take a professional's help.

Let me know if you need more help.

Best Regards,
Reetika Sharma, Certified Financial Planner
https://www.instagram.com/cfpreetika/

See more questions »

DISCLAIMER: The content of this post by the expert is the personal view of the rediffGURU. Investment in securities market are subject to market risks. Read all the related document carefully before investing. The securities quoted are for illustration only and are not recommendatory. Users are advised to pursue the information provided by the rediffGURU only as a source of information and as a point of reference and to rely on their own judgement when making a decision. RediffGURUS is an intermediary as per India's Information Technology Act.

Video Reply
Audio Reply

WhatsApp
Facebook
Twitter
Copy link

Delete

Close

Dear User, You have not registered yet. Please register by filling the fields below to get expert answers from our Gurus

Sign up

email

uname

mobile no

Country Code

Mobile number

By signing up, you agree to our
Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy

Already have an account?

LOGIN

x