Traditional Complementary Foods: A Critical Review

Abstract

Traditional complementary foods are popular minimally processed baby food used to introduce old infants and young children to adult foods. Cereal grains are it main ingredient, when cooked, because of its starch content, get gelatinized and swollen thereby making the diet viscous and bulky, so that it gives the stomach of old infants and young children enormous work to do. Traditional complementary foods consumed by old infants in many parts of the third world are deficient in essential macronutrients and micronutrients leading to malnutrition, which is one of the serious problems in developing countries. Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) generally occurs during this growing stage when children are weaned from breastmilk to semi-solid and later to family foods. The purpose of this study is to review literature findings on complementary foods. It's also aims to draw the attention of stakeholders and decision makers on the need to assess the nutrients quality and health risks associated with the consumption of low quality complementary foods and, consequently, the necessary measures and steps to reduce intake of low quality complementary foods by old infants and young children.

Exploring the potentials of underutilized grain amaranth (Amaranthusspp.) along the value chain for food and nutrition security: A review

“…The gruel made from cereals of maize, millet and sorghum are the common complementary foods used by rural and poor urban mothers in sub-Saharan Africa (Akinsola et al 2017). The gruel prepared from these cereals are low in energy, quality protein and dietary minerals hence inadequate in providing infants' nutrient requirements.…”

“…With much dilution, children are not able to meet their energy and other nutritional needs. Amaranth has been used to improve the protein and other important nutrients of weaning foods (Anigo et al 2009;Akinsola et al 2017).…”

The Facilitators and Barriers of Adopting Amylase-Rich Flour to Enhance Complementary Foods in the Kersa District Community of Eastern Ethiopia

“…Germinating grains increases the enzyme amylase [ 22 ]; hence, the flour is referred to as amylase-rich flour (ARF). ARF liquefies the thick starch of ungerminated flour [ 10 , 23 ] and facilitates digestion [ 24 ].…”

Nutritional Study of Processed Amygdalus communis L. Sesamum indicum and Bertholletia excelsa Nuts on Two Weeks Old Wistar Rats

“…Brazil nuts possess phenolics and flavonoids in both free and bound forms and are rich in tocopherol, phytosterols, and squalene [6]. Therefore, developing nutrient-dense, safe, affordable and accessible complimentary food from locally produced ingredients using household or small to medium scale production technologies is approved as a sustainable approach to address the problem of malnutrition [7] Due to the availability and high cost of commercial complementary foods to residents in rural areas in weaning babies, the need to study and formulate other nutritive sources or nut-based weaning food sources that are rich in lipid, carbohydrate, protein and minerals with low cost, easily available, accessible and affordable become imperative. In this research, nut-based weaning (almond, Brazil nuts, and sesame seed) to ensure that low-cost weaning food is accessible, to reduce malnutrition and mortality rate in infants to the beeriest minimum will be carried out.…”