Complementary Feeding Bowl
Globally, 1 in 3 children under 5 are not growing well due to malnutrition. UNICEF and partners are developing a Complementary Feeding Bowl as a practical, frugal innovation to ensure good feeding practices continue in the home.
The challenge
Globally, 1 in 3 children under 5 are not growing well due to malnutrition, and almost half do not eat a diverse diet with fruit, vegetables, eggs, dairy, fish and meat in the complementary feeding stage (6 - 23 months).
The quality of children’s diets is more important before the age of 2 than at any other time in life. Insufficient nutrients can irreversibly harm a child’s development. For example, vitamin A deficiency is the main cause of blindness in children, and an iron deficiency can reduce physical and mental development, limiting future ability to learn.
Many factors, including socio-economic, prevent access to nutritious foods. At the household level a lack of knowledge of the amount and diversity of foods young children need can also be a factor.
UNICEF supports Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) counselling to train communities in improved nutrition. However, sessions are often conducted without utensils (bowls, spoons) making it hard to illustrate key nutritional messages.
The response
UNICEF developed a Complementary Feeding Bowl and Spoon to provide caregivers with a simple tool to remember nutrition messages when they are preparing food for their child. This will help ensure children receive a diverse and nutrient-dense diet at the right frequency.
The kit is designed to be used by counsellors during IYCF behaviour change sessions for a clearer and more interactive demonstration of nutritional messages. Caregivers then take the bowl home as an ongoing reminder.
- To reflect the need for dietary diversity, culturally-relevant nutritional food icons are on the rim of the bowl. Inside, measuring lines show age-appropriate portion sizes for meal quantity, while other icons show age-appropriate meal frequency.
- A slotted spoon accompanies the bowl. While this may seem counterintuitive, it ensures the first semi-solid foods are the right consistency (not watered down) and energy-dense.
The product builds on research by Emory University who tested a bowl prototype in five countries and found an increase in meal volume by up to 20 per cent. UNICEF built on the concept, adding more features to support key nutritional messages. It also includes WASH messages and is inclusive for users living with disabilities.
In 2022, UNICEF will implement the bowl in eight countries to further understand its impact, particularly on the diversity of young children’s diets. To date, 400,000 bowl and spoon kits have been procured. It is also one of just 10 innovations highlighted in the UNICEF Nutrition Strategy 2020-2030 as a way to increase access to nutritious diets.
Almost half of all children
are not eating a balanced diet during the complementary feeding period (from 6 - 23 months).
5 countries
have tested prototypes of the bowl, with early results showing increases in meal frequency, quantity thickness and diversity of food.
57 million caregivers
When fully scaled, this innovation has the potential to reach 57 million caregivers through existing IYCF programmes.
The impact
Through equipping caregivers with knowledge on improved nutritional practices we can help prevent malnutrition and give millions of children the best start in life.
This project will increase the number of children who receive optimal nutrition during the critical first two years of life, ensuring they grow up healthy and can fulfil their full potential. This will also contribute to long-term educational and health outcomes.
When fully scaled, this frugal innovation has the potential to reach 57 million caregivers through existing IYCF programmes.