Poor diets and malnutrition in Kenya
Channel: Sam Bronx
Date: 2017-04-21

Poor diets and malnutrition in Kenya
Diets in the dry region of North West Pokot, Kenya,  are mainly cereal-based, missing a variety of vegetables, leaves, and fruits for most of the year except the season of plenty following the annual rains. White maize, sorghum, and millet are the key staples. These foods are high in phytate and fiber, which inhibit the absorption of micronutrients such as zinc and iron. 
Communities are growing maize, and other cash crops have a little extra land for varied food crops. Although households may own cattle, goats, and poultry, commonly these are not consumed but sold to add to the household income. Diets are mostly comprised of porridge prepared by boiling water and mixing crushed starchy cereals or cassava roots. This is the never changing menu in many homes, lacking in most essential elements of healthy eating. 
Poor children in households, with limited capacity to grow or purchase food and milk, therefore have a suboptimal intake of proteins and micronutrients; which contribute to poor child health, child growth development and may result in malnutrition.   

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