Development of Low-Cost Cereal Based Complementary Food from Locally Available Food Materials for Infants and Young Children

Providing nourishment to infants in addition to breast milk is known as complementary feeding. It is essential to introduce suitable complementary foods at the right time to ensure that infants and young children receive the necessary nutrition and meet their psychological needs. To fulfil the nutritional needs and address various forms of malnutrition, it is essential to incorporate complementary foods into the diets of infants and young children. Two types of low-cost cereal based complementary food – Wheat based and Rice based were taken into consideration for ensuring good nutrition during infancy and childhood period. The nutritive value per 100g of Rice based Food Mix was found to be Energy- 366.1 kcal, Protein- 12.34 g, Fat- 3.23 g, Fiber- 0.94 g, Carbohydrates- 80.1 g, Calcium- 219.7 mg and Iron-1.45 mg. Whereas Nutritive value per 100 g of Wheat based Food Mix was found to be Energy- 397.1 kcal, Protein- 15.55 g, Fat- 5.39 g, Fiber-2.12 g, Carbohydrates- 71.78 g, Calcium- 312.32 mg, Iron- 2.72 mg.