IPMAT Indore 2026 · Quantitative Ability · Question 38

IPMAT Indore 2026 previous year question on Tables, with the answer and a step-by-step solution.

TablesData InterpretationMultiple choiceMedium

Set 2: Nutritionist’s diet plan – Calcium, Iron and Protein — this question belongs to a set. Read the full set with all 5 questions →

A nutritionist is designing a daily diet plan of a person using five food items: Milk, Spinach, Almonds, Oats, and Rice. The Minimum Daily Requirement (MDR) of the nutrients Calcium, Iron and Protein should be 1100 mg, 15 mg, and 40 g, respectively. The following table gives nutrient content per serving of each food item:

Food item	Calcium (mg)	Iron (mg)	Protein (g)
Milk	300	0	8
Spinach	90	6	3
Almonds	210	4	6
Oats	120	3	5
Rice	50	1	4

Each serving provides a certain percentage of the MDR. For example, one serving of milk satisfies 20% of MDR of Protein. Further, the number of servings of any food item should be a whole number.

The number of food items that can satisfy at least 15% of the MDR for at least two nutrients in one serving is

Pick an option, then check.

Answer & solution

Answer: Option A

Step 1 — work out the 15% thresholds.

\text{Calcium:}0.15\times 1100=165\text{mg}

\text{Iron:}0.15\times 15=2.25\text{mg}

\text{Protein:}0.15\times 40=6 g

Step 2 — test each food item against all three.

Item	Ca ≥ 165	Fe ≥ 2.25	Protein ≥ 6	Count
Milk (300, 0, 8)	✓	✗	✓	2
Spinach (90, 6, 3)	✗	✓	✗	1
Almonds (210, 4, 6)	✓	✓	✓	3
Oats (120, 3, 5)	✗	✓	✗	1
Rice (50, 1, 4)	✗	✗	✗	0

Step 3 — count those reaching at least two. Milk and Almonds.

Answer: Option 1 — 2

Shortcut. Compute the three thresholds once (165, 2.25, 6) and then it is pure table-scanning. Almonds clears all three; Milk clears two; nothing else manages more than one. Note protein for Almonds is exactly 6 — “at least” means it counts.

IPMAT Indore 2026 · Quantitative Ability · Question 38

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