ISSN: 2456-8090 (online)                                                                                                    

DOI: 10.26440/IHRJ/0307.10288

 

Formulation of Satisfactory Meal for Sudanese Children (3-5 years) in Wad Medani Greater Locality, Gezira State, Sudan

 

SITANA E. ABDELRAHMAN*1, ALI O. ALI2, HAYDAR E. BABIKIR3, GHADA T. ABDOUN4, AWAD ELGEED T. ELKABASHI5

 

Cite this article as:Abdelrahman SE, Ali AO, Babikir HE,  Abdoun GT, Elkabashi AET. Formulation of Satisfactory Meal for Sudanese Children (3-5 years) in Wad Medani Greater Locality, Gezira State, Sudan. Int Healthc Res J. 2019;3(7):235-239. https://doi.org/10.26440/IHRJ/03067.10288

 

Author Affiliations:

  1. *University of Al Baha, Faculty of Science and Art, Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Corresponding Author)
  2. Professor of Food Science, Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, University of Gezira
  3. Professor of Pediatric and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gezira
  4. Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gezira
  5. Assistant Professor of Food Science, Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Al Zaeim Alazhari

 

Contact corresponding author at: sitanaalhaj[at]gmail[dot]com

 

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: A knowledge of chemical composition of food is the first essential in the quantitative study of human nutrition and in the dietary treatment of disease. One of the reasons for studying nutrition is to learn how to select meal that will enable to achieve and maintain good health.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to conduct approximate analysis for some types of food so as to  formulate adequate  meals for Sudanese children. 

MATERIALS AND METHOD: A total of 300 children 3-5 years of age from Wad Medani locality, Gezira State, Sudan, were surveyed. The study was conducted during period from July 2014 to February 2015. Dietary data and eating habits of children were obtained by interviewing mothers about their children’s diet using pre-tested questionnaires. Analysis of the main food was carried out according to the protocols of AACC (1980) and AOAC (1975, 1984).

RESULTS: The results showed that, all samples of food are relatively high in carbohydrate and low in protein and  fat content. Bearing in mind that all these types of stuff do not give a balanced diet therefore, two adequate meals were suggested.

CONCLUSION:  It is important to add more ingredients to some of our traditional foods, to improve the nutritional values.

 

KEYWORDS: Children, Food Samples, Approximate Analysis, Optimal Meals

 

INTRODUCTION

Nutrition is described as the sum of the process by which a living organism receives materials from its environment and uses them to promote its own vital activity such material are known nutrients.  Essential nutrients are nutrients which necessary for the life and can’t be synthesized by the body, therefore, it must be included   in the diet.1 Good nutrition during childhood continue to be the corner stone for survival, health and appropriate development.2   

A balanced diet consists of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, mineral and water. Adequate nutrition is essential during childhood to ensure healthy growth, proper organ formation and function, a strong immune system, and neurological and cognitive development.3 Optimal nutritional status is achieved, by consuming adequate nutrients.4 Lack of food as well as poor health and sanitation, inappropriate care and feeding practices are major causes of poor nutritional status.5

 The Food composition data (FCD) are sets of information on the nutritionally important components of foods and provided values for energy and nutrients including carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamin, mineral and other important food component such as fiber.6 FCD are important in many fields including practice, research nutrition policy and education and the food manufacturing industry also is used in variety of ways including national programs for assessment of diet and nutritional status.7

MATERIALS AND METHOD

In this study a sample of 300 preschool children was involved from Wad Medani locality, Gezira State, during the period from July 2014 to February 2015. Dietary data and eating habits of children were obtained by interviewing mothers about their children’s diet using pre-tested questionnaires. Analysis of the main food was carried out according to the protocols of AACC8  and AOAC.9   All samples were prepared for analysis. The Sudanese national sauce known as Mulah Sharmout, prepared  from minced beef meat, onions, tomatoes sauce, Waika  powder (from dry okra). Traditional stiff porridge, (Aceda) is prepared from fermented sorghum and cooked roub prepared from fermented  milk, onion, wheat flour. Aceda, mullah sharmout and cooked roub (the most often food consumed by children) were analyzed for the contents of protein, fat, fiber, ash, moisture, and carbohydrates. The sample size of 300 children was calculated according to the method described by Boehlert M.10   

RESULTS AND DISCUTION

The result  reported in table 1 show  the chemical composition of Stuff porridge, aceda, cooked roub, and mullah  sharmout.   

The moisture content of stiff porridge (aceda ) is 76.2% this value is close to value of moisture content of aceda 78.6% reported by Boutros JZ.11 The softest aceda is that made  by city people and has moisture content of about 80% the harder types of aceda are to be found in rural areas in western Sudan. This types of aceda probably have moisture content of about 65% - 70%.12 The protein content value 1.3% is  generally lower than 2.4% which was verified by Boutros JZ.11   The fat content is 0.7% is close to the value of  0.2% reported by Boutros. J.Z (11).  Aceda contain values of 1.1 % and 0.1% of ash and fiber respectively while  Boutros JZ11 stated that aceda contain 0.5% and 0.8% for ash and fiber content respectively. The carbohydrate content is about 20.6% which is generally higher than value of carbohydrate 17.7 % which was reported  by Boutros JZ.11  

The proximate chemical composition of the  cooked roub is shown in table 1. The moisture content of cooked roub was found to be 78.8% which was  less than that stated by Mohammed F13  who reported  89.5% and also, less than that reported by Sulieman AE14  who stated 91.40%  for fresh roub. The  ash content of cooked roub was found to be 0.8%, and this value was higher  compared with ash content of cooked roub 0.1% as was determined by Mohammed F.13  The fiber content of cooked roub was found to be (4.34%), which was greater than (0.82%) ash value specified by the Sulieman AE14 for fresh roub and greater than (0.7%) stated by Suliman SM15  for ash content of tradition zabadi prepared at home. The cooked roub was found to contain 3.7% protein, which was close to 4.2% reported by Mohammed F13 for cooked roub. Fat content of the cooked roub was found to be 3.7% which is relatively more than 3.1% according to Suliman SM.15 for tradition zabadi made in home.

Table 1 shows the chemical composition of  mullah  sharmout.  The moisture content of mullah sharmout is 80.5% this value is similar to value of moisture content of mullah sharmout  80% mentioned by  Mohammed F.13 The protein content  value is 4.5%  these value greater than 1.6% value of protein content of mullah sharmout that was mentioned by Mohammed F.13  The fat content is 4.3% is close to value of fat content of mullah sharmout 4.50% mentioned by Mohammed F.13 Mullah sharmout contain 1.5% fiber and 2.1% ash these values generally close to that stated by Mohammed F13  for fiber and ash 1.4%, 1.52% respectively. The carbohydrate content is about 7.1%% which is generally less than  value  of carbohydrate 10.8 % that indicated  by Mohammed F.13

From table 2,  a gram  of stiff porridge (Aceda) give 0.939 calorie,  one serve of  aceda (220 grams) give 206.58 calories.

From table 3, a gram  of  cooked roub, give  0. 831 calorie , one serve of  cooked roub  (160 grams) give 132.96 calories. A meal consist of stiff  porridge (aceda) with cooked roub give a total energy of   339.54 calories.

From table 4, a total energy from stiff porridge (aceda)  with  mullah sharmout is calculated as:  a gram  of mullah sharmout give 0. 86 calorie,   one serve of mullah sharmout   (160 grams) give 137.6 k. calories.  A meal consist of stiff porridge( aceda) with mullah Sharmout give a total energy equal to 344.18 calories.

Suggested Adequate Meal (SAM): The meals vary according to the nutrients that constitute them. All various kinds of meals contain a certain sort of nourishing materials. An adequate meal must contain all types of nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals.

Two satisfactory  meals have been prepared for children. The first meal consist of:

  1. 220 grams of sorghum stiff porridge (aceda ) and 160 grams of sauce (mullah) sharmout.
  2. 30 gram- on cup- of vegetables salad, contain tomato, cucumber, carrot and green pepper.
  3. Medium sized fruit of orange, apple, guava, (12-15) pieces of grapes, (4-6) pieces of strawberries. Or one small cup of fruit juice
  4. 200 ml of milk-small cup- or 150 gram of yoghurt.

Note: Dates, Nabag fruit- ziziphus Spinacristi  and laloup fruit- Balanites Aegyptioca can substitute the above mention fruits also roub can substitute yoghurt.   

This meal can supply the concerned children of (3-5) year of age with total energy required   also provide children with 18.6 grams of protein, as a requirement for children at this age. Another option as the substitute of aceda sharmout as an adequate meal is roub aceda. This second option stemmed out from the fact the amino acid that found in beef protein is quite different than that found in roub bearing in mind that, the protein quality of roub has high score than beef protein (1 to .97). The constituents of the second adequate ideal meal are: 

  1. 220 grams of sorghum stiff porridge (aceda) and 160 grams of cooked roub.
  2. 30 gram- on cup- of vegetables salad, contain tomato, cucumber, carrot and green pepper.
  3. Medium sized fruit of orange, apple, guava, (12-15) pieces of grapes, (4-6) pieces of strawberries. Or one small cups of fruit juice
  4. Big sized whole egg or 10 grams of meat.

Note: Dates, Nabag fruit-ziziphus Spinacristi  and laloup fruit- Balanites Aegyptioca can substitute above mention fruits; also roub can substitute yoghurt.

This meal provides children with total energy required for children at this age group and 16.796 gram of protein which is  a minimum amount requirement for children at this age group. The two meals can supply the concerned children  with total energy required  depend to different choices, also provide children with amount of protein required, derived mainly from mullah sharmout  and milk or yoghurt or roub, egg and meat. Moreover such meals supplies children with vitamins and minerals  required derived mainly from vegetables and fruits such as vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, B12 vitamin C, folic acid also, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium and Phosphorous.

CONCLUSION

All samples of food are relatively high with regard to carbohydrate and low in protein and in fat. Bearing in mind that all this stuff do not give a balanced diet therefor, it is important to add more ingredients to some of our traditional foods, to improve their nutritional values. 

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© Raelison Jasper Grant et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY-NC 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the use is not commercial and the original author and source are cited.