With food prices skyrocketing, nutritionists recommend that low-income families adopt a healthy diet by consuming locally-grown food.
To achieve a balanced diet, they suggest combining at least five of the ten available food classes.
According to NAIJATRAFFIC, a report by the National Bureau of Statistics and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition reveals a significant increase in the average cost of a healthy diet for a Nigerian adult, from N858 in January to N1,241 in June 2024. This 45% rise in the Cost of Healthy Diet (CoHD) surpasses general inflation and food inflation rates.
The World Bank defines CoHD as the cost of purchasing locally available foods to meet dietary guidelines.
James Oloyede, Director of Nutrition Services and Health Education, notes that combining home-grown foods for a healthy diet is a significant challenge for many households.
He stresses that Nigerians must master the art of combining healthy foods to maintain a balanced diet amidst rising food prices.
The nutritionist mentioned, “Nigerians find it difficult to achieve a balanced diet with home-grown food. They don’t know which less expensive protein that can be combined with other foods to make their meals balanced.
“Now, there are about 10 classes of food in the country and the target is to have at least five out of these classes of food in your meals to make them balanced. Anything less than this, there is the likelihood that the food will be unhealthy.
“These are the kinds of things we need to teach the people. There is no substitute for a healthy diet. Let nobody even think of it. It is either your food is healthy or not healthy.
“Our foods are diverse as a country and have about 10 food groups. Out of 10 food groups, it is expected that for an individual to make a healthy diet, such an individual would have a minimum of five classes of food in his diet in a day.”
Oloyede highlighted that when the meals do not have up to five of these food categories, it is likely that the food is not healthy, saying that if such an individual decides to go that way, his body will not be able to get enough nutrients for optimal growth and development.
He emphasized: “For instance, we have our roots and tubers, cereal and vegetables. In the South, you have more tubers and roots. In different parts of 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.
“There are also legumes. Legumes, which include beans, peas, lentils, seeds, and nuts (groundnuts) among others, are an inexpensive, healthy source of protein, potassium, and complex carbohydrates.”
According to him, Vitamin A is highly needed in the body for immune function, reproduction, healthy vision, skin health, proper functioning of the heart, lungs, kidneys, growth, and development among others, yet the body does not make Vitamin A.
Oloyede stated, “You will get Vitamin A from beef liver, cod liver oil, herring, sweet potato, carrots, and many other fruits and vegetables. Carrot also has Vitamin K, calcium for healthy bones.
“There are also protein-rich vegetables like pumpkin leaves (ugu) and amarantus (green). Other ones are water leave and watermelon. Watermelon has high water content, antioxidants, and amino acids may make for a better workout. It is also high in potassium.
“There is milk. Some people have different categories of milk. There is unpasteurised milk from the praetorians which is their source of protein and others. There are eggs, meat, poultry, and others.”
He elaborated that getting enough protein daily is essential for overall health, advising that households should ensure they have at least five of these classes of food to prevent malnutrition in children and adults.
Oloyede said, “If you don’t have meat, you have fish, or poultry, or milk, or crayfish depending on the one available. If they are not up to five, there is a likelihood that the food will be unhealthy.
“On the final analysis, these are the things we need to teach our mothers and households on combining locally-grown food to achieve a healthy diet that cannot tear their pockets.”
Dr. Mercy Eloho, former Head of Nutrition and Dietetics at Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, supports James Oloyede’s view, highlighting a significant knowledge gap in nutrition, particularly in northern Nigeria.
Eloho, who created an app to educate mothers on nutrition and balanced diets, emphasizes that educating households, especially in the North, on combining foods for a balanced diet is crucial to addressing this issue.
She believes that this education is the key to making a meaningful impact.
She said, “I didn’t encounter the severity of the problem of undernutrition until 2016 when I visited a remote, rural community with a friend.
“I saw dozens of children with visibly pronounced ribs, thin limbs, and discoloured hairs – all clear, clinical signs of severe malnutrition.
“What I could not understand was that some of these children were sitting around large expanses of cultivated farms. I am aware that a lot of the food consumed in Nigeria is produced in the North and I couldn’t understand why they were severely malnourished amid plenty.
“With further research, I discovered a disconnect 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.
“So, we need to teach these mothers the concepts of combining locally grown to prepare nutritionally adequate meals to achieve healthy diets for their household.”
