Sample 1: (This category would not consider limiting calories, or sugars, keeping in mind normal conditions).

• Soup is optional
• 1 sweet dish warm in winter, or cold in summer
• 6 poories or 2-3 parathas
• 1 cup rice
• 1 cup vegetable with gravy
• 3/4 cup vegetable without gravy
• 1 cup salad or raitha
• 1 cup dal
• 1 papad or 3-4 bhajjias
• Chutney or pickle (which may be sweet or bland)
• Sweet (Dessert)

To fit the above menu let us use some specific combinations:

Combination 1:

• 1 bowl Tomato soup (optional)
• 6 poories or 3 parathas
• 1 cup chana masala or pindi channa
• 3/4 cup stuffed bhindi (okra or lady's finger)
• 1 cup green moong dal
• 1 cup steamed rice
• 1 cup boondi raita
• 1 papad or 3-4 onion bhajjias
• lime or mango pickle
• Atte ka seera

Combination 2: (a little more elaborate)

• 1 bowl curried carrot soup
• 4-5 Phulkas
• 1 cup Vegetable kolhapuri
• 1/2 cup methi sabzi
• 1/2 cup broad bean vegetable (lobia)
• 1 cup kadhi (from khichidis)
• 1 cup Peas pulao
• 1 cup cucumber radish salad
• 4-5 vegetable pakoras
• Gulab jamoon
• All purpose green chutney.
• Papad (optional)

Combination 3: (For those with little time for elaborate veggies, etc.)

• 1 bowl clear soup
• 4-5 phulkas or 3 tandoori rotis
• 1 cup onions in a jiffy
• 1 cup potatoes in curd gravy
• 1-1/2 cup curd rice or lime rice
• 1 cup boondi or spinach raita
• 2 cups doodh kamal or 1/2 cup shrikand (can be prepared previous evening)
• 2 papads or a cutlet (can be prepared from left over mashed potatoes)
• Pickle or peanut chutney

(Substitute phulkas or rotis for breads or buns once in a way). To save time reduce the number of vegetables, including the same in parathas or spicy rotis - since these can be eaten with curds or chutneys.

Next: Sample Menu - 2