Nutritional education is very crucial in terms of creating adequate awareness on human nutrition and general wellness. Nutritional education should be focused on the following:
- Nutrition of vulnerable group like 0 – 5 years
For the first six (6) months of life, exclusive breastfeeding which entails feeding the infant with only breast milk with giving the child any other food including water. Between six (6) months and the first two years of life the child breastfeeding should be continued alongside with other foods (complementary feeding), then after weaning (stopping breast feeding), careful planning should be carried out in feeding the toddler by providing the child with a balanced diet frequently at least 4 – 5 times daily and limiting the foods that are high in saturated fat, added sugars, and added salt, these include
- Grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain: Foods from this group provide fibre, vitamins and minerals, carbohydrates and protein which are all important for energy and growth and repair of the body, wholegrain varieties provide more fibre, vitamins and minerals than refined foods.
- Fruit: Fruit is a rich source of vitamins, including vitamin C and folate. Fruit also provides carbohydrates, antioxidants and fibre. Choose fresh fruit more often than juice, as it is higher in fibre. Dried fruit is nutritious and adds variety to a healthy diet, but its stickiness can contribute to tooth decay. Canned fruit can be used as a nutritious replacement for fresh fruit, especially those varieties that are canned in natural juice or without added sugar
- Vegetables: Choose a wide variety of vegetables from week to week. Buy vegetables in season as these are the best value for money. Use frozen and canned vegetables as an alternative to fresh. They are nutritious, often cheaper, quick and easy to prepare, easily stored and available in remote areas
- Protenious food: This food group provides a good source of protein, iron, zinc and B group vitamins. Iron carries oxygen in the blood and zinc assists the healing of wounds and in growth and development. Choose a variety of meats and fish including beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, duck, fish and shellfish. Choose lean meats and avoid frying or roasting in fat and oil. If you are vegetarian choose foods such as legumes, nuts and seeds from this group and choose wholegrain or wholemeal bread and cereals.
- Milk, yoghurt, cheese and alternatives: Foods in this group are excellent source of calcium for healthy bones and teeth. These foods are also a good source of protein, riboflavin and vitamin B12
- Discouraging the use of breast milk substitute and inappropriate marketing of complementary feeding
During antenatal and postnatal care, mother should be sensitized on the need to refrain from the use of breast milk substitute for their infants by educating them on the dangers associated with the practice and the advantages of exclusive breastfeeding. For this to be effective, inappropriate promotion of breastmilk substitutes and commercial complementary foods and beverages for infants and young children should be greatly discouraged.
- Promotion of adequate feeding practice
To promote adequate feeding practice, adequate awareness should be created on proper feeding of school-aged children if necessary, the introduction of a state-sponsored school feeding programme, adequate nutrition of pregnant and lactating mothers by including regular visit to thedietician in their antenatal and postnatal schedules, etc. The aged and the sick should be adequately cared for and monitored to ensure that they take in adequate food at all times.
- Use of growth monitoring
Growth monitoring should be used to determine the level of growth especially for the child. This should involve following changes in a child’s physical development, by regular measurement of weight, and sometimes of length. This is an important tool in individual care, for early detection of health and nutrition problems in growing children. It thus, ideal for all children to be regularly weighed and the results kept on growth charts. In practice, certainly all children enrolling in health and nutrition programmes should be issued growth charts, and mothers motivated to ensure regular weighing – preferably every month but at least every three months.
- Adequate food preparation
Adequate awareness should be created on food preparation strategies. People should be trained on food preparation techniques, different recipe and the practice of food demonstration by an expert.
- Home visit by trained personnel
Home visits should be carried out by trained health care personnel to supervise dietary issues facing the people and also follow up to ensure compliance and remind the people regularly on the need for adequate healthy nutritional practice.
- Social/community mobilisation
Social/community mobilization should be regularly carried out for people to be familiar with the need for adequate nutrition and income generating activities for the people to be able to either produce the food they need (through farming) or to afford food (through skill acquisition) and other income generating strategies.
