positiveyummy

July2019SuperNutritiousandYummyStudiesacrossAfricaandAsiashowbothachievedWeachievedthisthrough:workingwithcooks/communitytodesigntogethernew,easyandculturallyadaptablerecipes;designingrecipesthatconsideredfoodcombinationsandbioavailability;andbuildingawarenessaboutnutritioninfunways.
SmartFoodiscoordinatedgloballyby:India:Approximately1,500adolescentschoolchildrenwereprovidedamillet-basedmid-daymeal,balancedwithpigeonpeaandvegetables.
Arandomsampleof10%ofthechildrenshowed:50%fastergrowththanthoseeatingfortifiedrice-basedmeals.
Thechildrenratedthemeals:4.
5orhigheroutof5fortaste,includingeatinglittlemilletasrice.
Tanzania:2,000schoolchildrenhadfingermilletandpigeonpeamealsincludedintheirmenu.
87%changedtheirperceptionsandfoodchoicespositivelytowardsmilletsandpigeonpea.
Therecipesweresignificantlyhigherinenergy,protein,totalfat,iron,zinc,calcium,andmagnesium.
Kenya:Wereachedparentsofover60,000childrenbelowage5withSmartFoodnutritionmessages.
Injustoneyear,womenandchildren'sbehaviourchangedsignificantlytowardsamoremicronutrient-richdietwith:20%increaseindietdiversityforwomenAlmost100%increaseindietdiversityforthechildren.
Myanmar:Asamplingshowedthatrefinedwhitericeconstituted75%ofthecaloriesinhouseholdplates.
Withintwoweeksofincludingmilletsandpigeonpeainthedietsofchildrenaged6to23months,asmallsample(needstoberepeatedwithalargesample)showedTherewasapositiveimpactontheextentofwastingandunderweight.
Alsosensoryevaluationsshowedallrecipesscoredonaverageabove4outof5,includingeatinglittlemilletasrice.
SmartFoodisfoodthatfulfilsallcriteriaofbeing:goodforyou(nutritiousandhealthy);goodfortheplanet(environmentallysustainable);andgoodforthefarmer(e.
g.
,climatesmart,potentialtoincreaseyields,multipleuses).
SmartFoodisasolutionthatcontributestoaddressingsomeofthelargestglobalissuesinunison:poordiets(malnutritiontoobesity);environmentalissues(climatechange,waterscarcityandenvironmentaldegradation);andruralpoverty.
SmartFoodisalsoabusinesssolution.
Toachievethis,weneedtopopularizeSmartFoodgloballytoensuretherequiredinvestment,R&D,andsupport.
Thismeansdrivingmajornewindustries.
Theapproachistobuildconsumerdemand–butalsoencompassallsegmentsofthevaluechain,developingaconduciveandsupportingenvironmentandengagingfarmerstoensuretheybenefitappropriately.
AkeyobjectiveoftheSmartFoodinitiativeistodiversifystaplesacrossAfricaandAsia.
Byfocusingonstaples,often70%oftheplateandeaten3timesaday,thisishowwecanhavethebiggestimpact.
Toachievethis,weneedadedicatedfocusedeffortinitiallyonacoupleofSmartFoodstonotjustpopularizebutbringintomainstream.
TheSmartFoodVisionisaworldwherefoodis'Smart'–healthy,sustainableontheenvironmentandgoodforthosewhoproduceit.
TheSmartFoodMissionistobeacatalystinbreakingthefoodsystemdividesothatSmartFoodisanormalandmajorpartofourdiets.
SmartFoodApproach–howwecanhaveextensiveimpactWewouldlovetohearfromyou.
Contact:JoannaKane-Potaka,ExecutiveDirector,SmartFoodAssistantDirectorGeneral,ICRISATj.
kane-potaka@cgiar.
orgWhatyouprobablydon'tknowaboutMilletsandSorghumHighlynutritiousFingermillethas3timestheamountofcalciuminmilk;Afewofthemilletshaveveryhighironandzinc(muchhigherthaninmeatandalthoughplant-basedironhaslowerbioavailability,thehighironmilletscanprovideasmuchironasredmeat,andprovideclosetotherecommendeddailyallowanceofiron);Lowglycemic(GI)index:MilletsandsorghumhavelowGIandhenceimportantduetorisingdiabetes;Goodlevelsofprotein:Legumeshavelowlevelsoftwooftheessentialaminoacidswhilemilletsandsorghumhave50%higherofthese;togethertheycreateacompleteproteinwhencombinedwithlegumes;Highfiber;andmore.
ClimatesmartServeasanadaptationandmitigationstrategyforclimatechangewhichiscriticalAlowcarbonfootprintSurviveinhightemperaturesSurvivewithverylittlewater;pearlmilletisoftendescribedasthelastcropstandingintimesofdrought.
1.
Agoodriskmanagementstrategyforfarmers.
2.
Potentialtosignificantlyincreaseyield.
3.
Multiple,largelyuntappedusesfromfood,feedandfodder,brewing,andbiofuels.
4.
Potentialtogrowmarketsglobally;theyalsofitintosomeofthebiggestglobalhealthfoodtrends–beingasuperfood,ancientgrain,lowGI,glutenfree,highfiberandgoodforweightloss.
Lessonslearnt:HowtodoittomaximizethebenefitsoffeedingprogramsJustaddingmilletsorotherfoodsandassumingthisisahealthymealisnotgoodenoughThewaymilletsarebroughtintomealsneedstheunderstandingof:whatfoodsneedtobecombinedthathelpabsorbthenutrientswhichcookingmethodsincreasethenutritionvaluewhichmilletshavewhichnutrientsandhowtocombinethesewithotherfoodsforabalancedmealselectingthevarietieswhichcanegtripletheironthatisavailable.
Laboratorynutritiontestingonthemealsshowedsignificantlyhighernutritionvalues:Whatyouprobablydon'tknowaboutMilletsandSorghumHighlynutritiousFingermillethas3timestheamountofcalciuminmilk;Afewofthemilletshaveveryhighironandzinc(muchhigherthaninmeatandalthoughplant-basedironhaslowerbioavailability,thehighironmilletscanprovideasmuchironasredmeat,andprovideclosetotherecommendeddailyallowanceofiron);Lowglycemic(GI)index:MilletsandsorghumhavelowGIandhenceimportantduetorisingdiabetes;Goodlevelsofprotein:Legumeshavelowlevelsoftwooftheessentialaminoacidswhilemilletsandsorghumhave50%higherofthese;togethertheycreateacompleteproteinwhencombinedwithlegumes;Highfiber;andmore.
ClimatesmartServeasanadaptationandmitigationstrategyforclimatechangewhichiscriticalAlowcarbonfootprintSurviveinhightemperaturesSurvivewithverylittlewater;pearlmilletisoftendescribedasthelastcropstandingintimesofdrought.
1.
Agoodriskmanagementstrategyforfarmers.
2.
Potentialtosignificantlyincreaseyield.
3.
Multiple,largelyuntappedusesfromfood,feedandfodder,brewing,andbiofuels.
4.
Potentialtogrowmarketsglobally;theyalsofitintosomeofthebiggestglobalhealthfoodtrends–beingasuperfood,ancientgrain,lowGI,glutenfree,highfiberandgoodforweightloss.
Lessonslearnt:HowtodoittomaximizethebenefitsoffeedingprogramsJustaddingmilletsorotherfoodsandassumingthisisahealthymealisnotgoodenoughThewaymilletsarebroughtintomealsneedstheunderstandingof:whatfoodsneedtobecombinedthathelpabsorbthenutrientswhichcookingmethodsincreasethenutritionvaluewhichmilletshavewhichnutrientsandhowtocombinethesewithotherfoodsforabalancedmealselectingthevarietieswhichcanegtripletheironthatisavailable.
Laboratorynutritiontestingonthemealsshowedsignificantlyhighernutritionvalues:July2019SuperNutritiousandYummyStudiesacrossAfricaandAsiashowbothachievedWeachievedthisthrough:workingwithcooks/communitytodesigntogethernew,easyandculturallyadaptablerecipes;designingrecipesthatconsideredfoodcombinationsandbioavailability;andbuildingawarenessaboutnutritioninfunways.
SmartFoodiscoordinatedgloballyby:India:Approximately1,500adolescentschoolchildrenwereprovidedamillet-basedmid-daymeal,balancedwithpigeonpeaandvegetables.
Arandomsampleof10%ofthechildrenshowed:50%fastergrowththanthoseeatingfortifiedrice-basedmeals.
Thechildrenratedthemeals:4.
5orhigheroutof5fortaste,includingeatinglittlemilletasrice.
Tanzania:2,000schoolchildrenhadfingermilletandpigeonpeamealsincludedintheirmenu.
87%changedtheirperceptionsandfoodchoicespositivelytowardsmilletsandpigeonpea.
Therecipesweresignificantlyhigherinenergy,protein,totalfat,iron,zinc,calcium,andmagnesium.
Kenya:Wereachedparentsofover60,000childrenbelowage5withSmartFoodnutritionmessages.
Injustoneyear,womenandchildren'sbehaviourchangedsignificantlytowardsamoremicronutrient-richdietwith:20%increaseindietdiversityforwomenAlmost100%increaseindietdiversityforthechildren.
Myanmar:Asamplingshowedthatrefinedwhitericeconstituted75%ofthecaloriesinhouseholdplates.
Withintwoweeksofincludingmilletsandpigeonpeainthedietsofchildrenaged6to23months,asmallsample(needstoberepeatedwithalargesample)showedTherewasapositiveimpactontheextentofwastingandunderweight.
Alsosensoryevaluationsshowedallrecipesscoredonaverageabove4outof5,includingeatinglittlemilletasrice.
SmartFoodisfoodthatfulfilsallcriteriaofbeing:goodforyou(nutritiousandhealthy);goodfortheplanet(environmentallysustainable);andgoodforthefarmer(e.
g.
,climatesmart,potentialtoincreaseyields,multipleuses).
SmartFoodisasolutionthatcontributestoaddressingsomeofthelargestglobalissuesinunison:poordiets(malnutritiontoobesity);environmentalissues(climatechange,waterscarcityandenvironmentaldegradation);andruralpoverty.
SmartFoodisalsoabusinesssolution.
Toachievethis,weneedtopopularizeSmartFoodgloballytoensuretherequiredinvestment,R&D,andsupport.
Thismeansdrivingmajornewindustries.
Theapproachistobuildconsumerdemand–butalsoencompassallsegmentsofthevaluechain,developingaconduciveandsupportingenvironmentandengagingfarmerstoensuretheybenefitappropriately.
AkeyobjectiveoftheSmartFoodinitiativeistodiversifystaplesacrossAfricaandAsia.
Byfocusingonstaples,often70%oftheplateandeaten3timesaday,thisishowwecanhavethebiggestimpact.
Toachievethis,weneedadedicatedfocusedeffortinitiallyonacoupleofSmartFoodstonotjustpopularizebutbringintomainstream.
TheSmartFoodVisionisaworldwherefoodis'Smart'–healthy,sustainableontheenvironmentandgoodforthosewhoproduceit.
TheSmartFoodMissionistobeacatalystinbreakingthefoodsystemdividesothatSmartFoodisanormalandmajorpartofourdiets.
SmartFoodApproach–howwecanhaveextensiveimpactWewouldlovetohearfromyou.
Contact:JoannaKane-Potaka,ExecutiveDirector,SmartFoodAssistantDirectorGeneral,ICRISATj.
kane-potaka@cgiar.
org