Use of recipe trials and anthropological techniques for the development of a home-prepared weaning food in the central highlands of peru

Abstract

Nutritionists conducted research activities to develop a new weaning food as part of the Dietary Management of Diarrhea (DMD) Program in The Callejon de Huaylas in the Ancash Department in Peru. 1st they used open ended interviews to determine candidate foods for a weaning recipe. They spoke to 95 mothers in 5 areas including both urban and rural populations. Mothers preferred cereals and legumes that are toasted and then ground into flour during diarrhea. The only available staple that they considered neutral or positive during diarrhea was wheat. They preferred cooked food to raw food. Mothers saw oil as changing potatoes from a harmful state to an acceptable state. Therefore the nutritionists knew that adding oil would improve the perceived quality of food and increase energy content inexpensively. They next conducted recipe trials in 7 rural and 3 urban sites at each communitys mothers club. 8-10 mothers and their children 4 mouthfuls during the 1st feeding. These results indicated that Sanquito was indeed acceptable. The DMD Program began promoting Sanquito use along with breast milk and other foods during and for 1-2 weeks after each diarrheal episode.