Sample Meals Plan: 12 –23 months

Feed your child who is 12–23 month of age three meals each day and two snacks. Continue to breast feed.

Aim for at least 4 food color groups every day and every food group in a week. You should begin to include dairy and dairy products in your child’s diet.

On the next page is an example of a weekly meal plan that will give your child who is 12–23 months of age all the nutrients they need. As your child gets older and his diet includes more foods, it is easier to feed him 4 or more different food groups at every meal.

Monday Meal 1: Maize porridge, mashed beans and ripe banana

Meal 2: Sweet potatoes and vegetables with groundnut flour

Meal 3: Mashed Irish potatoes with dried, ground greens

Snack: Avocado pieces, chopped boiled eggs

Tuesday Meal 1: Sweet potato and egg porridge

Meal 2: Minced meat stew

Meal 3: Mashed green maize, beans, and sweet potatoes

Snack: Sliced banana, fermented milk

Wednesday Meal 1: Pigeon pea stew, mashed carrots

Meal 2: Stewed Nile perch

Meal 3: Arrowroot stew

Snack: Mashed beans, fermented milk

Thursday Meal 1: Enriched matoke, chopped boiled egg

Meal 2: Stir-fried Kale (Sukuma Wiki)

Meal 3: Mashed Irish potatoes with dried, ground omena

Snack: Sliced banana, cooked and diced carrots

Friday Meal 1: Sweet potato porridge, minced mango

Meal 2: Stir-fried Amaranth leaves (Terere)

Meal 3: Stewed cow peas leaves and jute mallow leaves

Snack: Chopped boiled egg, avocado pieces

Saturday Meal 1: Maize porridge, banana

Meal 2: Sprouted green grams stew

Meal 3: Liver stew

Snack: Cooked and diced carrots, papaya slice

Sunday Meal 1: Fermented grain porridge, mashed carrots

Meal 2: Sweet potato porridge with diced liver

Meal 3: Meat Stew

Snack: Banana and peanut butter, fermented milk

Five Different Food Groups

Seven Different Food Groups

Six Different Food Groups

Six Different Food Groups

Six Different Food Groups

Five Different Food Groups

Six Different Food Groups

Steamed sweet potato and vegetables with groundnut flour

Ingredients

Raw orange-fleshed sweet potato

Steps

1 cup (1 fist) of any dark green leafy vegetable

1 cup (1 fist) of roasted and ground groundnuts or any other nut

½ cup (½ fist) juice from an orange

2 cups (2 fists) of clean water

Clean cooking area, cooking bowls, and utensils with soap and clean water. Wash hands with soap and clean running, water. Wash ALL vegetables with clean water.

Cut the sweet potato into small pieces.

3 Food Groups

Add just enough clean water to cover the bottom of the pot. Add the ground nuts, dark green leafy vegetables and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes to the pot and bring to a boil.

Cover the pot. The steam created by the water will cook the mixture.

Steaming uses a lot less water and can reduce cooking time.

Stir occasionally to prevent burning. If it gets too dry before being fully cooked, add a few spoons of clean water.

Cook until you can easily pierce the potato with a fork.

Mash the mixture. Add juice from the orange and stir well.

Recipe continues on the next page.

Remove from the heat. Let cool before serving so you do not burn your baby’s mouth.

Wash your hands and your child’s hands with soap and clean water before feeding your child.

As a father, I feel it is my duty to provide the best for my family. Part of how I do this is by ensuring they get the nutrition they need. It does not take a lot of money if you know which foods are both nutritious and inexpensive.

Helpful Hints

• At this age, your child should be eating about 1 cup (1 fist) of food at each meal and a snack.

• If you have extra food, you can feed it to other children or store it in a covered container for NO MORE THAN 4 hours. If you store the food, be sure to heat it thoroughly before feeding it again to your baby.

• Continue breastfeeding on demand until your baby is 2 years old or more.