Children between the ages of 6 and 23 months require supplemental nutrition in addition to breastfeeding. However, nutrient-rich complementary foods are not always affordable or available in low-income areas. In many affluent societies, the intake of professionally produced infant food is very common and, in some cases, even outpaces that of home-cooked food. In rural Ghana though, infant feeding is largely home-based yet there is inadequate understanding of current and potentially enriched community-based infant foods using ingredients that can be grown or purchased in the local environment.
Ghana’s infant and young child feeding is sub-optimal, particularly in the northern belt of Ghana [16]. Ghana did adopt the comprehensive Infant and Young Child Feeding strategy in 2007 [18], which includes actions to increase awareness through counseling and to provide support for adequate complementary feeding. However, there is little guidance on mothers’ or families’ self-efficacy in developing a variety of infant food recipes using context-specific foods.
Suitability and Potential Nutrient Contribution of Underutilized Foods in Community-Based Infant Foods in Northern Ghana.