Book launched to guide poor children get low-cost nutrition

According to health statistics in India, 20 per cent of children less than five years of age suffer from malnourishment.

Mumbai, Dec 11 Aiming to help children from economically weak background escape the scourge of malnutrition, an initiative was launched here identifying the best food items that can provide nutritional values at low-cost.

The initiative, launched on Saturday by international NGO Save the Children and food company Mondelez India, is in the form of a book that seeks to identify the best food items that can provide nutritional food value at low-cost.

The book is unique because the recipes and food items in it have been identified and compiled with a lot of input and contribution from women from various parts of the country. It helped the project tap into the existing repository of knowledge of the women in the community and combine newer ideas for increasing nutritive value.

According to health statistics in India, 20 per cent of children less than five years of age suffer from malnourishment.

India accounts for more than three out of every 10 stunted children in the world.

The recipe book is to ensure that mothers and children from economically marginalised families are able to access low-cost nutritional meals. Each recipe has high nutritional value and is comprised of affordable ingredients.

"The aim of this project is to create wide spread awareness, knowledge and practice within low income communities and their children on healthy lifestyles and Nutrition," said Sandhya Krishnan, General Manager- Maharashtra state programme, Save the Children.

The initiative -- a multi-state project -- focuses on children from between 0-18 years in Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

IANS