Millet as an intervention for micronutrient deficiencies

Short description

Children, adolescents and the elderly would need breakfast that is pleasing with fruits and nuts. To enhance their demanding appetites ground millet can be added to bread, yoghurts and muffin recipes.


The problem we aim to solve

Enhanced consumption of diverse and modified diets is highly recommended to reduce the micronutrient deficiencies that lead to stunted growth, waste, and unproductive communities especially in south western Uganda amongst the Bahima, Batwa and many other tribes. Millet, when modified to snacks as in biscuits; porridge and breakfast cereals is a good source of nutrients, vitamins, minerals and organic compounds. Millet provides the most energy, fat, B-vitamins and is gluten free. The focus will be the infants.


Our solution

Recommending diverse and modified diets in communities that experience high levels of malnutrition and nutrition related health problems would be ideal to those living in internally displaced camps, vegans, day-care institutions and homes for the elderly and many more of us. Millet, just like quinoa and amaranth ranks very high as a source of nutrients. It is loaded with potassium, zinc, copper, magnesium, and folate and phosphorous. It is a rich source of essential amino acids and therefore enhances growth and development. Ideally, malnourished communities need a food enriched with salt, folic acid, vitamin D and trans-fatty acids.  Vegetables, nuts and fruits can be prepared with millet. Imbalances in the nutritional composition of diets and foods of low nutritional value are mainly found in rural communities who prefer milk and milk products only and others than prefer carbohydrates only therefore eating less of proteins and vitamins. Rich diets are found amongst some tribes in Northern Uganda who have delicacies comprising of high value proteins and green leafy vegetables. These delicacies can be adopted by many other tribes and peoples. Currently, adolescents and school children have preference for nut or sesame butter which they use as a spread instead of margarine and butter for their bread.


The innovativeness of our approach

The approach will tackle health care, lowered quality of life and lost production amongst the various malnourished communities. The increase of some chronic diseases has increased pressure on the Government to encourage preventive policies to the diseases. Also there is an increase in diseases not normally associated with malnutrition but have their origin in nutrition such as high blood pressure, cancers, dental caries, obesity, osteoporosis and diabetes. These conditions can be crippling for many individuals due to micronutrient deficiencies and therefore need urgent attention.

Technologies and Methods

The technology used to prepare the food and preparation methods of the food would be user-friendly and simple to the various communities such boiling, baking and instant foods such as Millabix, Milliflakes which added with yoghurt or milk and fruits is very appetizing and nutritious. That certainly includes the coverage of the information which should be affordable and wide for example radio, T.V talk shows and cartoons especially for the children, promotion of back yard gardening by the local authorities and the village health teams. Millabix and milliflakes need specialized preparations and can handled by the food industries as partners.

Potential Partners

A synergy with a range of stakeholders such as FAO Uganda, UNHCR – considering Uganda hosts a number of refugees, The Uganda Food and Nutrition Council, National Drug Authority – Food Desk, consumer groups, industry, academics, the media to increase the outreach, communication and the uptake of the initiatives outputs.

VOTE FÜR DAS PROJEKT

Das Voting endet am 24. Juni 2018, 23:59 Uhr.

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Dankeschön!
Millet as an intervention for micronutrient deficiencies

Team: Juliet Tindyebwa

Praise Komujuni

Rhona Baingana

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