A food-based approach could improve dietary adequacy for 12-23-month-old Eastern Ugandan children.

Little is known about dietary adequacy, for young Ugandan children, or context-specific food choices to improve it. This study estimated the percentage of breastfed 12-23-month-old rural Eastern Ugandan children (n = 114) at risk of inadequate intakes of 12 nutrients; and identified realistic food choices for improving it. In this cross-sectional survey, dietary (weighed food records), anthropometric and socioeconomic data were collected. The percentages of children at risk of inadequate nutrient intakes were estimated, assuming 541 g/day of breast milk was consumed. The median nutrient densities of their complementary feeding diets were also compared with desired levels. Linear programming analyses were used to identify 'problem nutrients' (where requirements will be difficult to meet given dietary practices) and model food choices to improve dietary adequacy. Overall, 21.2% of children were stunted and 3.8% were wasted. A high percentage (>45%) of children were at risk of inadequate intakes, for nine of the 12 nutrients assessed, and dietary nutrient densities were below desired levels for seven of the 12 nutrients. Iron, calcium, thiamine and niacin were 'problem nutrients'. Through careful selection of foods, modelling indicates that population level dietary adequacy can be achieved for eight of the 12 nutrients modelled. These choices include cows' milk, legumes, green leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes and fruits. Overall results suggest these high percentages of children at risk of inadequate nutrient intakes can be reduced through behaviour change interventions, although additional interventions may be required to ensure population-level dietary adequacy for iron, thiamine and niacin

Role of wild, neglected and underutilized foods in reducing the cost of a nutritionally adequate diet in the eastern region of Baringo District, Kenya

The role of wild, neglected and underutilized species in achieving a cost reduction of a nutritionally adequate diet in the dry and wet season was investigated in the eastern region of Baringo District in Kenya. Baringo District is situated in the arid and semi-arid ecological zones of Kenya and local populations in the study region mainly include (agro-)pastoralists relying on supplementing their diet with food collected from neighboring forests and fields

Role of wild, neglected and underutilized foods in reducing the cost of a nutritionally adequate diet in the eastern region of Baringo District, Kenya (presentation)

The role of wild, neglected and underutilized species (NUS) in achieving a cost reduction of a nutritionally adequate diet in the dry and wet season was investigated in the eastern region of Baringo District in Kenya. Baringo District is situated in the arid and semi-arid ecological zones of Kenya and local populations in the study region mainly include (agro-)pastoralists relying on supplementing their diet with food collected from neighboring forests and fields. Ethnobiological surveys identified 5 wild fruit and vegetable species based on nutrient content and local population’s preferences from a total of 340 species of edible plants and animals inventoried in both the dry (February/March) and wet (July/August) season in 2012. The 5 wild plant species (Solanum nigrum L., Balanites aegyptiacus (L.) Delile, Ximenia americana L., Berchemia discolor (Klotzsch) Hemsl. and Ziziphus mauritiana Lam.) were included in Save the Children’s Cost of Diet tool (CoD). This linear programming tool estimated the lowest cost diet that meets the energy requirements and recommended nutrient intakes for mothers and children aged 6 to 24 months, taking into account the price and availability of local foods during dry and wet seasons as well as constraints on the ‘locally accepted’ amount of each food that can be included in the diet. This is called a locally appropriate, cost-optimized, nutritious diet (LACON) diet. The program was run with and without the selected wild species. The LACON diets without the 5 wild species could not meet the recommended nutrient intakes for several essential micronutrients. During the dry season, the diet of an infant aged 6 to 8 months did not meet the recommended nutrient intakes for iron, zinc, vitamin B6 and calcium; and iron was limited for all age groups (women and children). The wet season was better for meeting recommended micronutrient, but iron was limited for women and infants aged 6 to 11 months and zinc was limited for infants aged 6 to 11 months

Role of wild, neglected and underutilized foods in reducing the cost of a diet in the eastern region of Baringo District, Kenya

Poster presented at Grand Challenges Explorations Agriculture & Nutrition Awardee Convening. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Seattle (USA) 13-15 Mar 201