India - Household Consumer Expenditure, NSS 58th Round, Schedule 1, July 2002 - December 2002

Meal
A 'Meal' is composed of one of more readily cat able (generally cooked) items of food, the usual major constituent of which is cereal food. The meals consumed by a person twice or thrice a day provide him/her the required energy of (calorie) and other nutrients for living and for pursuing his/her normal avocations. A 'meal' as opposed to 'snacks ' as opposed to 'snacks', 'nasta' or 'high tea' , contains larger quantum and variety of food. In rare cases, a full meal may contain larger quantity of non-cereal food. Even that, if the total quantum of food in plate is heavy as a meal, the contents of the food plate will also be considered as a real. Sometimes the contents of a 'nasta' may not be very different from the contents of a 'meal'. The difference in quantity will there be the guiding factor for deciding whether the plate is to be led as a 'meal ' or a nasta.

Number of meals taken outside home on payment and at home during last 30 days preceding the date of survey, for each member of the household will be recorded here. There are schools/balwadis etc., which provide standard food to all or some students as midday meal, tiffin etc., free or at subsidised rate. Such meals are to be considered as meals taken away from home. If such food is received free it will be recorded in column "Meals (School)" . Meals received at subsidised rate will be recorded in column "Meals (Payment)". There are institutions which provide canteen facilities to their students. Students can purchase food of their choice and to their requirements from those canteens on payment. In such cases also entry will be made in column "Meals (Payment)".