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May 26, 2023
Complementary Feeding Diets Made of Local Foods Can Be Optimized, but Additional Interventions Will Be Needed to Meet Iron and Zinc Requirements in 6- to 23-Month-Old Children in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Overview
Researchers reviewed twenty-three articles to evaluate whether nutrient requirements in children (6 to 23 months) living in low- and middle-income countries can be met by the consumption of locally available foods (“observed intake”) or optimized foods using modeling techniques (“modeled intake”).
Children consuming locally available foods did not always meet nutrient requirements. When diets are optimized, most nutrient requirements can be met, with the exception of iron and zinc and in some settings calcium, folate, and B vitamins.
Findings suggest that optimizing local foods in diets of children can improve nutrient intakes; however, additional cost-effective strategies are needed to ensure adequate intakes of iron and zinc.
Publication
Food and Nutrition Bulletin
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0379572116655239