Table 1. Diet Quality Index for Indian children scoring criteria.

S. No.	Question		Score range	Scoring criteria
1	Cereals		0–3	≥6 portions per day=3
				3 to <6 portions per day=2
				<3 portions per day=1
				No cereal consumption=0
2	Pulses/meat and meat products		0–3	≥2 portions per day=3
				1 to <2 portions per day=2
				<1 portion per day=1
				No pulse consumption=0
3	Milk and milk products		0–3	≥5 portions per day=3
				2½ to <5 portions per day=2
				<2½ portions per day=1
				No milk consumption=0
4	Vegetables		0–4	≥1 portions per day=4
				½ to <1 portion per day=2
				<½ portion per day=1
				No vegetable consumption=0
5	Fruits		0–3	≥1 portions per day=3
				½ to <1 portion per day=2
				<½ portion per day=1
				No fruit consumption=0
6	Sugar		0–3	≥4 portions per day=3
				2 to <4 portions per day=2
				<2 portions per day=1
				No sugar consumption=0
7	Tick all items which your child eats daily		0–10	≥1 serving from each food group=10
		i. Cereals ( )		No servings from any 1 food group=8
		ii. Pulses/meat and meat products ( )		No servings from any 2 food groups=6
		iii. Milk and milk products ( )		No servings from any 3 food groups=4
		iv. Vegetables ( )		No servings from any 4 food groups=2
		v. Fruits ( )		No servings from >4 food groups=0
8	Choose the frequency with which you child consumes empty-calorie food		0–2	<5 times per week=2
				5–10 times per week=1
				>10 times per week=0
9	Choose the frequency with which you consumes breakfast (milk+cereal/fruit/pulse/vegetables)		0–6	Daily=6
				2–4 times per week=3
				Once per week=1
				1–3 times per month=0
10	Choose the number of meals consumed by your child each day		0–1	2–3 per day=0
				4–5 per day=1
11	Choose the frequency with which your child finishes tiffin		0–6	Daily=6
				2–4 times per week=3
				Once per week=1
				1–3 times per month=0
12	Choose the frequency with which your child eats their least favorite but healthy food		0–2	Daily=2
				1–4 times per week=1
				1–3 times per month=1
				Seldom=0
13	Choose the frequency with which your child has eaten someplace other than home during the last 7 days		1–3	Never=3
				1 time=2
				≥2 times=1
14	Does your child eat commercially packaged foods as a result of advertisement?		0–2	Yes=0
				No=2
15	Does your child primarily eat foods prepared at home?		0–2	Yes=2
				No=0
16	Sodium intake		0–2	≤1.1 g per 1,000 kcal per day=2
				1.2–1.9 g per 1,000 kcal per day=1
				≥2 g per 1,000 kcal per day=0
17	Contribution of fat to total energy		0–2	<25% of total energy per day=2
				25 to 30% of total energy per day=1
				>30% of total energy per day=0
18	Protein intake		0–8	≥30 g per day=8
				15–29 g per day=4
				<15 g per day=0
19	Iron intake		0–7	≥16 mg per day=7
				8–15 mg per day=4
				<8 mg per day=0
20	Calcium intake		0–10	≥600 mg per day=10
				300–599 mg per day=5
				<300 mg per day=0
21	Vitamin C intake		0–8	≥40 mg per day=8
				20–39 mg per day=4
				<20 mg per day=0