Expand your menu for better health

No mother would want to lose a child to something she could have prevented.

It is sad that in the 21st century, hundreds of Kenyan mothers and millions worldwide continue to lose young ones to unsuitable feeding habits.

Habits are locally responsible for six out of ten deaths in children under five years. Globally, an estimated 165 million (26 per cent) children under-five years are stunted. Ninety percent of the world’s stunted children live in Africa and Asia.

According to the 2014 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, about a quarter or 26 per cent of Kenyan children are stunted, meaning they have not been receiving appropriate nutrition over an extended period of time;  four per cent are wasted, an effect of inadequate nutrition within a short period of time and 11 per cent are underweight, a combination of both acute and chronic malnutrition.

Adequate nutrition is essential in children for good organ formation and function, healthy growth, strong immune system, and neurological and cognitive development.

Stunted growth, which is irreversible, is associated with impaired mental development and reduced performance in school work and play. Lack of appropriate nutrition can result in long term deficit in mental and physical development that leaves children unable to take maximum advantage of learning opportunities in schools. Even after treatment, some forms of malnutrition have long-term effects and children end up with digestive problems and impairments in mental function.

Parents’ knowledge, attitude and practice of nutrition rather than food unavailability seems the main reason responsible for malnutrition among children under five years old. So, what can we do about it? For starters, we can improve our knowledge base. By experimenting and sampling from menus from different communities.

Mothers should shun the limiting, standard menu of potatoes, bananas and pumpkins handed down from generation to generation that is not only inadequate in terms of nutrition but is also downright boring.

Its monotony results in children forming negative food association that affect their eating habits.

Most Kenyan families are too comfortable with foods they are familiar with — ethnic foods or menus from childhood years tend to take precedence in most homes.

People tend to shy away from trying out different foods grown in other areas of the country or imported foods.

This leads to limited food choices. A limited diet restricts nutrients available for good health, proper growth and development, and increases the risk of developing both macro and micro nutrient deficiencies in children and the entire family.

Kenya offers an array of healthy nutritious foods from different ethnic backgrounds that come with an array of important nutrients.