Consuming healthy diet possible with home-grown food amid price hike – Nutritionists

Nutritionists have stated that families with modest incomes can still eat a nutritious diet by adopting locally farmed food, even with the ongoing price increases in food items.

The dietitians recommended that in order to provide a nutritious meal for their family, people should attempt to combine at least five of the ten food classes that are accessible.

The June 2024 "Cost of Healthy Diet," a research from the National Bureau of Statistics and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, revealed to PUNCH Healthwise that the average cost of a nutritious diet for an adult Nigerian increased from N858 in January to N1,241 in June 2024.

According to the NBS study, during the first half of 2024, the CoHD grew by 45% while general and food inflation surged to 33% and 40%, respectively.

According to the NBS, the June number was 19% higher than the N1,041 per adult day reported in May 2024.

The World Bank defines CoHD as the cost, in current purchasing power parities, of buying the least expensive locally available foods to meet the requirements for energy and food-based dietary standards.

Combining home-grown items to obtain a balanced diet is a huge difficulty for many homes in the Osun State Primary Health Care Development Board, according to James Oloyede, Director of Nutrition Services and Health Education.
Oloyede stressed that Nigerians must become experts at combining nutritious foods in order to eat properly despite the rising cost of staple foods.

"Nigerians find it difficult to achieve a balanced diet with home-grown food," the dietitian stated. They have no idea which less expensive protein to pair with other foods to create a balanced meal.

There are currently roughly ten food classes in the nation, and the goal is to include at least five of these classes in your meals in order to create a balanced diet. If this is not met, there's a good chance the food won't be healthful.

These are the kinds of lessons that the public needs to learn. There is no better option than a balanced diet. Let nobody even think of it. It is either your food is healthy or not healthy.
There are around ten food groups in our nation, and our cuisine is varied. If someone follows a healthy diet, it is assumed that they will consume at least five foods from each of the ten food groups each day.

If such a person chooses to follow that path, his body won't be able to obtain enough nutrients for ideal growth and development, according to Oloyede, who stated that meals that do not include at least five of these food categories are probably unhealthy.

As an illustration, he said, "We have our roots and tubers, cereal, and vegetables." Roots and tubers are more prevalent in the South. Various locations inside the North, you have more grains (rice, beans, corn, wheat, millet e.t.c.), and in the South also, we have cocoyam, and vegetables among others.
Legumes are also present. Legumes are a cheap, wholesome source of complex carbohydrates, potassium, and protein. They include beans, peas, lentils, seeds, and nuts (groundnuts), among other things.

As per his assertion, the body lacks Vitamin A despite its great necessity for immune system operation, reproduction, good eyesight, skin health, heart, lung, and kidney function, growth, and development, among other functions.

Vitamin A can be obtained from beef liver, cod liver oil, herring, sweet potatoes, carrots, and a variety of other fruits and vegetables, according to Oloyede. Carrots are a good source of calcium and vitamin K for strong bones.

"Vegetables high in protein include amaranthus (green) and pumpkin leaves (ugu). Watermelon and leaves are the other two. Because of its high water content, antioxidants, and amino acids, watermelon might be a superior workout partner. Potassium content is likewise high.

There's milk on hand. Some individuals have distinct milk categories. They get their protein and other nutrients from the praetorians' unpasteurised milk. Poultry, beef, eggs, and other items are available.

He said that eating adequate protein on a daily basis is crucial for good health in general and suggested that, in order to prevent malnutrition in both children and adults, homes should make sure they have at least five of these food classes on hand.

Oloyede went on, "Depending on what is available, you have fish, poultry, milk, or crayfish if you don't have meat. There is a chance that the food will be unhealthy if they do not reach five.

"A healthy diet that doesn't break the bank is ultimately something we need to teach our moms and households how to achieve by combining locally grown food."

In agreement with Oloyede's assertion, Dr. Mercy Eloho, the former head of the nutrition and dietetics department at the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, Bauchi State, and creator of an app aimed at educating mothers on healthy eating and nutrition, stated that there is a significant lack of knowledge regarding nutrition in Nigeria, particularly in the northern regions.

According to Eloho, achieving a balanced diet would only be possible through educating households, particularly those in the North, about food combinations.

"Until I went to a remote, rural community in 2016 with a friend, I was unaware of the seriousness of the undernutrition problem," the woman stated.

"I observed numerous kids who had obvious, clinical indicators of extreme malnutrition, such as prominent ribs, slender limbs, and discoloured hair.

"It baffled me that some of these kids were seated in the middle of vast, well-manicured farmlands. I know that a lot of the food in Nigeria is grown up north, so I didn't understand why people were so seriously undernourished in a country where there was plenty to eat.

"After conducting additional investigation, I found a discrepancy between food produced in the area, and how to utilise them to nourish their children. So we started by teaching them food combinations to achieve a healthy diet.
In order to ensure that their families are eating healthily, we must teach these moms the principles of integrating locally farmed food with appropriate nutrients in their meals.