1. Home Gardening and Nutrition Training Material4
EATING WELL
Eating healthy and wise
We must eat a variety of foods every day in the right proportions so that our body gets enough energy and everything it needs to be active, to grow and to be protected against illness.
Home Gardening and Nutrition Training Material

2. 1. A balanced and diverse diet
Having a balanced and diverse diet:
keeps our bodies and minds healthy,
gives the body energy to function well and be active,
helps the body to fight infections and illness,
helps children to develop to their full potential,
contributes to safer pregnancy and child birth.
Why is eating a balanced and diverse diet important?
It keeps our bodies and minds healthy.
It gives the body energy to function well and be active.
It helps the body to fight infections and illness.
It helps children to develop to their full potential.
It contributes to safer pregnancy and child birth.

3. 1. A balanced and diverse diet
A healthy diet includes a variety of foods from different groups.
Too much as well as too little food is bad for our body.
A healthy balanced diet has the right proportions of good quality foods, as shown in the figure:
A healthy diet includes a variety of foods from different groups.
Too much as well as too little food is bad for our body. A healthy balanced diet has the right proportions of good quality foods and is integrated by the following food groups (see figure).

4. 1. A balanced and diverse diet
Staples:
Should be the biggest portion on the plate and the main component of your diet.
They provide energy and help our body grow and repair.
Staples: Should be the biggest portion on the plate and should be the main component of your diet (e.g. cereals, maize, sorghum, wheat flour and rice). They provide energy and help our body grow and repair.
Vegetables and fruits: Should make up around one third of the plate. Have plenty of them, ideally different ones, they are also great snacks between meals. Vegetable and fruits protect our body against illness.
Vegetables and fruits:
Should represent around 1/3 of the plate. Have plenty of them – as snacks between meals for example.
They protect our body against illness.

5. 1. A balanced and diverse diet
Animal foods and legumes:
Should be a smaller portion of the plate. They enable our body to grow and repair.
Every day, one should have at least ONE of them.
Animal foods and legumes: Should make up a smaller portion of the plate. They enable our body to grow and repair. Every day one should have at least ONE of these:
Meat, poultry, eggs, offal etc. OR
Milk, cheese, yoghurt etc. OR
Fish (tinned or fresh) OR
Legumes (lentils, beans, peas etc.)
Fats and oils: Should form a small part of the plate. Add them to vegetables and meals in small amounts e.g. 3-4 tablespoons per day per person. They provide energy and improve protective function of vegetables.
Fats and oils:
Should form a small part of the plate (e.g. 3-4 tbs per day per person).
They provide energy and improve protective function of vegetables.

6. Why drinking safe water?
1. A balanced and diverse diet
Why drinking safe water?
Water is needed for digestion and absorption.
Dirty water can carry diseases (e.g. diarrhoea), malnutrition and mortality.
The importance of drinking safe water: water is necessary for our body functions including digestion and absorption. Dirty water can carry the diseases that cause diarrhoea – one of the major causes of infant and young child morbidity, malnutrition and mortality. Each person needs to drink 8 glasses of safe water a day.
Each person needs to drink
8 glasses of safe water a day.

7. 2. Food preservation Why preserving food?
To have food products available when they are out of season or in short supply
To help ensuring a diversity of nutrients
How to preserve food?
Bottling, drying, or freezing
Why should we preserve food?
Preservation of food is useful to have food products available when they are out of season or in short supply. For example, fruit is not available in winter, and when one slaughters a cow or an animal the excess of meat may be used later if preserved. Food preservation helps us to ensure a diversity of nutrients.

8. 3. Special needs 3. a. Mother and child feeding
Healthy eating for women is crucial especially:
During pregnancy
When breastfeeding
When feeding a young child
Proper feeding enables:
- The mother to feel well and active.
- Making birth easier.
- Proper growth and development of the child.
- Helping the mother to breastfeed the baby successfully.
Our nutrition requirements change during our lifetime, from infancy to old age. Special attention should be paid to the diet of pregnant women and lactating mothers, children, elderly and sick people.
Mother and child feeding: It is extremely important for a woman to pay attention to her eating when she is pregnant, breastfeeding or feeding a young child. Proper feeding enables:
The mother to feel well and active.
Making birth easier.
Proper growth and development of the child.
Helping the mother to breastfeed the baby successfully.

9. 3. a. Mother and child feeding
Pregnant women:
Eat extra nutritious snacks during the day. - Take iron and folic acid tablets prescribed at the health centre.
Attend ante-natal clinics as instructed by the health personnel.
Breastfeeding mothers:
Eat a little more at each meal/have smaller frequent meals.
Eat nutritious snacks between meals.
Take vitamin A capsules.
Attend post-natal clinics.
Good nutrition is important for both mother and child.
Pregnant women: Eat extra nutritious snacks during the day. Take iron and folic acid tablets prescribed at the health centre. Attend ante-natal clinics as instructed by the health personnel.
Breastfeeding mothers: Eat a little more at each meal or have smaller frequent meals. Continue eating more nutritious snacks between meals. Take vitamin A capsules prescribed at the health centre. Attend post natal clinics as instructed by the health personnel. HIV-infected mothers on ART (antiretroviral) should adhere to medication and breastfeed their children seeking regular advice from health centre personnel.

10. 3. a. Mother and child feeding
Feeding babies aged 0–6 months:
Exclusive breastfeeding for babies under 6 months of age.
Attend health centre monthly for growth monitoring.
Feeding Children over 6 months:
Breastfeeding until 2 years old highly recommended.
From 6 months old, give complementary foods in addition to breastfeeding.
Feeding babies aged 0–6 months: Babies under 6 months of age should be exclusively breastfed. Babies should attend the health centre monthly for growth monitoring.
Feeding Children over 6 months: It is highly recommended that breastfeeding is continued until the child is 2 years old. From 6 months of age, complementary foods should be given in addition to breastfeeding.

11. 3. a. Mother and child feeding
Feeding the babies of HIV-infected mothers
HIV-infected mothers on ART should:
adhere to medication
breastfeed exclusively their babies under 6 months
introduce complementary foods when the child is 6 months
continue to breastfeed until the child is 12 months.
Feeding the babies of HIV-infected mothers:
HIV-infected mothers on ART (antiretrovirals) should adhere to medication and breastfeed their children seeking regular advice from health centre personnel.
Children under 6 months of age should be exclusively breastfed.
While still on ART, HIV-infected mothers should introduce complementary foods when the child is 6 months and continue to breastfeed until the child is 12 months.
After 12 months of age, breastfeeding should only stop once a nutritionally adequate and safe diet without the breast milk can be provided to the infant. Advice should be requested from health centre personnel.
After 12 months of age, breastfeeding should stop ONLY once a nutritionally adequate and safe diet without the breast milk can be provided to the infant.

12. 3. b. Preventing malnutrition
Children are at risk of malnutrition when they:
Are not eating the right foods in quantity, quality and diversity.
Suffer from diseases (e.g. diarrhoea) or infections (e.g. hookworms, HIV/AIDS).
The risk of malnutrition is high for children, especially from 6 months to 2 years old, when breast milk is no longer enough for the growth and development of babies.
Children are at risk of malnutrition when:
They are not eating the right foods in quantity, quality and diversity.
They suffer from diseases (e.g. diarrhoea) or infections (e.g. hookworms, HIV/AIDS).
Young children are at high risk of malnutrition, especially from the age of 6 months until the age of 2 years, when breast milk is no longer enough for the growth and development of the baby.
This is a critical time for growth monitoring. Babies need to be weighed and measured regularly in your health care centre.
A diverse, balanced diet and good hygiene practices are the best ways to prevent malnutrition. In addition, your doctor may prescribe supplements like iron and Vitamin A.
This is a critical time for growth monitoring.
Malnutrition can be prevented with: a diverse, balanced diet and good hygiene practices.

13. 3. c. The elderly
Elderly people need to eat well to stay healthy. Prioritize: - Dairy
- Fruits and vegetables
- Water !
Elderly may lose appetite and have more difficulty to chew.
Bear this in mind when preparing the meals.
3. d. Obesity
Overweight can be caused by eating too much of staple foods, fats or sugar.
Consequences can be:
- Diabetes Less energy
- Heart diseases Less endurance
High blood pressure
The elderly:
As we age we may lose appetite and find it more difficult to chew. Still, elderly people need to eat well to stay healthy. Dairy, fruits, vegetables and water are particularly good.
Attention should be paid to the preparation of meals to facilitate the food intake and digestion.
Obesity:
Overweight as a result of eating too much of staple foods, fats or sugar can lead to serious health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart diseases. Obesity also affects your quality of life, reducing your energy levels and endurance.