Table 1.

Construction of the outcome variable: Minimum Acceptable Diet

Age of the Child in months	Minimum dietary diversity as per IYCF or FAO	Minimum Meal frequency as per IYCF	Minimum acceptable diet as per IYCF	Minimal acceptable diet used in the paper
6–8 month breastfeeding	Minimum of 4 or more food groups out of seven food groups like-Grains, roots and tubers, Legumes and nuts, Dairy products (milk, yogurt and cheese), Flesh foods (meat, fish, poultry and liver/organ meats), Eggs, Vitamin-A rich fruits and vegetables, Other fruits and vegetables	2 times	Breastfed children 6–23 months of age who had the minimum dietary diversity and the minimum meal frequency during the previous day	Children 6–71 months of age who had at least the minimum dietary diversity (minimum four or more food groups following different food groupings based on their age) and the minimum meal frequency (different frequency as per age) during the previous day
9–23 months breastfeeding		3 times
6–23 month non breast feeding		4 times	Non-breastfed children 6–23 months of age who had at least the 2 milk feedings and had at least the minimum dietary diversity and the minimum meal frequency during the previous day
24–71 months	Minimum of four or more food groups like Cereals, roots and tubers, vitamin A rich fruits and vegetables, Other fruits, Other vegetables, Legumes, pulses and nuts, Oils and Fats, Meat, poultry, fish, Dairy, Eggs and Other (sweets, chips, soda, condiments) etc	4 times (no guideline available)	No guideline available