Good food helps the body fight TB and recover. TB programme advice is simple: eat three meals and three snacks a day, add protein to every meal, and use ordinary local foods. Here is a sample chart, the rules behind it, and a free tool to make your own.
हिंदी में सार
टीबी मरीज़ के लिए दिन में तीन बार खाना और तीन बार हल्का नाश्ता, हर खाने में प्रोटीन (दाल, चना, दूध, दही, पनीर, अंडा, मछली), और रोटी या चावल में थोड़ा घी या तेल। घर का स्थानीय खाना सबसे अच्छा है। हिंदी डाइट चार्ट देखें।
The rules behind a TB diet chart
These points come from the NTEP knowledge base on nutritional care for TB patients:
- Eat often: three meals and three snacks a day. When appetite is poor, eat small amounts frequently, and once appetite returns aim for three meals and at least two snacks.
- Raise energy and protein without making the plate bigger, for example by adding oil, butter or ghee to roti or rice.
- Have pulses as snacks too: sprouts, roasted chana and groundnuts.
- Include milk and eggs.
- Use easily available local foods, vegetarian or non-vegetarian as you prefer. Costlier foods and supplements are not necessarily better than local foods.
- Smoking and alcohol are harmful to TB patients and should be avoided.
Sample weekly TB diet chart (North Indian, vegetarian, low cost)
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Snacks and bedtime |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Besan chilla with curd | Roti with ghee, rajma, curd and salad | Roti, moong dal and lauki sabzi | Roasted chana with jaggery; sattu drink; a glass of milk |
| Tuesday | Daliya cooked in milk with jaggery | Rice, kadhi and sabzi | Vegetable khichdi with ghee and curd | Sprouted moong chaat; peanut chikki; a glass of milk or curd |
| Wednesday | Poha with peanuts and a glass of milk | Roti, chole and raita | Roti and soya chunk curry | Banana and a glass of milk; lassi or buttermilk; a glass of milk |
| Thursday | Moong dal chilla with green chutney | Rice, chana dal, seasonal sabzi and curd | Roti, masoor dal and aloo gobhi | Sattu drink; roasted chana with jaggery; a glass of milk or curd |
| Friday | Besan chilla with curd | Roti with ghee, rajma, curd and salad | Vegetable khichdi with ghee and curd | Peanut chikki; sprouted moong chaat; a glass of milk |
| Saturday | Daliya cooked in milk with jaggery | Roti, chole and raita | Roti and soya chunk curry | Lassi or buttermilk; banana and a glass of milk; a glass of milk or curd |
| Sunday | Poha with peanuts and a glass of milk | Rice, kadhi and sabzi | Roti, moong dal and lauki sabzi | Roasted chana with jaggery; sattu drink; a glass of milk |
Protein foods in this chart: besan, moong, rajma, chole, chana, soya, dal, curd, milk, lassi, sattu and peanuts. Add an egg or meat if you eat them.
Open the diet chart maker with a ready template, then change food style, budget and language. Download as PDF or Word, or print.
Download a ready diet chart
PDFTB diet chart PDF (English)A4, printable, weekly vegetarian plan with tipsPDFTB diet chart PDF (Hindi)हिंदी में साप्ताहिक डाइट चार्ट, A4DOCTB diet chart in WordEdit the plan to suit your familyUnderweight? Ask about extra food support
Patients with a BMI below 18.5 at diagnosis are offered Energy Dense Nutritional Supplementation for the first two months of treatment. Ni-kshay Mitras may also give monthly food baskets to patients who agree, and to their household contacts. Ask your health facility.
TB with diabetes or other conditions
If you have diabetes, kidney disease or another condition, ask your doctor or a dietitian to adjust the chart, for example the amount of rice, sugar, jaggery or salt.
Do
- Eat small amounts often if appetite is poor.
- Add dal, curd, egg or paneer to meals.
- Drink clean water and eat seasonal fruit and vegetables.
Do not
- Do not drink alcohol or smoke.
- Do not replace meals with tea and biscuits.
- Do not spend on costly supplements without your doctor’s advice.
TB diet chart makerMake a weekly protein-rich meal plan in your food style and budget, in English or Hindi, as PDF or Word.
Make my diet chartFrequently asked questions
What foods should a TB patient avoid?
The programme guidance asks patients to avoid alcohol and smoking. No ordinary home food is banned. Patients with diabetes or other illnesses should follow their doctor’s advice.
Is a high protein diet good for TB patients?
Yes, protein at every meal is part of the programme advice: pulses, milk and dairy, eggs and flesh foods.
Can a TB patient eat eggs and chicken?
Yes, if they eat them. Eggs and flesh foods are protein-rich foods named in programme advice.
What is a good TB diet in Tamil Nadu or Kerala?
Use the South Indian style in the diet chart maker: idli with sambar, pesarattu, sundal, rice with dal and curd, fish or egg curry.
Is there a diet chart for MDR-TB?
The same principles apply. Drug-resistant TB treatment is longer, so steady nutrition matters even more.
Medical review note. Written from official TB programme guidelines; last checked 16 October 2026. This is general information, not medical advice. For diagnosis and treatment, see a doctor at your nearest government health facility.