Development of a High-Calorie Nutritional Porridge Formula Enriched with Vitamin A and Iron for Primary School Children

Abstract

Malnutrition is a major problem among school children in Sri Lanka. This is mainly because children are used to having ready-to-eat foods for breakfast, which have low nutritional value and an imbalance in their nutritional profile. A wide range of nutrition interventions are ongoing to address this matter. The present study aimed to produce high-calorie nutritional porridge enriched with vitamin A and iron and evaluate the nutritional quality of the porridge. Both fresh and dry formulas were developed in this study. Selection of raw materials was done by considering the nutritional value and the organoleptic properties of the ingredients. This formula contains Pachchaperumal and Rathu Heenati as two traditional rice varieties (Oryza sativa), Medeeri (Panicum miliaceum), Soya Bean Seeds (Glycine max), and Green Gram Seeds (Vigna radiata) as the cereal mixture. For the vegetables, Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima), Gotukola (Centella asiatica), and Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) were selected due to their high beta-carotene and iron content. The porridge mixture was further analysed for its physical and chemical properties, sensory characteristics, and shelf-life studies. The caloric value, protein, fat, dietary fiber, available carbohydrate, and ash content of the final product (per one serving, 200 mL) were 78.525 Kcal, 3.171 g, 3.925 g, 1.943 g, 7.629 g, 1.942 g, respectively. The final product contained 1.1 g, 16.4 mg, 6.4 mg, and 1.2 mg of Na, Ca, Fe, and Zn, respectively. Also, it contained 30.0 µg, 8.6 mg, and 0.4 mg of β-carotene, Vitamin B3, and Vitamin B6, singly. Shelf-life studies exhibited that the dry porridge mix remained stable at room temperature (27 ± 2 °C, RH=74%) for up to three months in double-laminated (Met Pet/ LDPE aluminum foil) packaging. This concludes that the developed porridge mix offers a nutritious, child-friendly breakfast made from locally available grains, vegetables, and spices, which will address the need for healthy calorie intake along with vitamin A and iron, while reducing dependence on imported and refined products.