Balanced Meal Preparation
Senior 2 · Home Science
Balanced Meal Preparation
Lesson 3 of 4
20 min
Let's begin
In one Rwandan household there may be a baby, a teenager, working parents, a pregnant aunt and a grandmother. They often eat from the same pot, yet their bodies need different things. A baby needs soft, energy-dense food in small amounts; a teenager is growing faster than at any time since infancy; a grandmother may struggle to chew.
A life stage is a period of life with its own nutritional needs. In this lesson you will learn what each stage needs and how to adapt one family meal to suit everyone.
| Life stage | Special needs | Practical advice |
|---|---|---|
| Babies, 0 to 6 months | All nutrients and water | Breast milk only (exclusive breastfeeding). No water, porridge or other food is needed. |
| Babies and toddlers, 6 months to 2 years | Energy, protein, iron, vitamin A, in small, soft amounts | Continue breastfeeding and add soft foods: thick porridge enriched with milk or soya flour, mashed beans, mashed banana or avocado, egg, sambaza powder. Feed several times a day. |
| Children, 2 to 9 years | Energy and protein for growth, calcium, iron | Three meals and two healthy snacks (fruit, milk, groundnuts); never skip breakfast. |
| Adolescents, 10 to 19 years | Growth spurt: more energy and protein; calcium for bones; iron (especially girls once menstruation begins) | Bigger portions, milk, beans and dark green leaves; avoid replacing meals with sweets and soda. |
| Adults | Energy to match activity; maintenance | A farmer or builder needs more energy than an office worker. Limit salt, sugar and fat to protect against high blood pressure and diabetes. |
| Pregnant and breastfeeding women | Extra energy and protein; iron and folate (for the baby's blood and nervous system); calcium; iodine | An extra meal or snack each day; beans, dark green leaves, milk, eggs, fish; iodised salt; supplements given at the health centre; no alcohol. |
| Elderly people | Less energy, but still protein, calcium, fibre and fluids | Soft, easy-to-chew foods; small frequent meals; plenty of water; less salt. |
| Sick and recovering people (convalescents) | Easily digested, nutrient-dense food; fluids | Soups, porridge, eggs, mashed foods; oral rehydration solution for diarrhoea. |
Task: The family supper is ugali, beans, amaranth and avocado. Adapt it for (a) a 9-month-old baby, (b) a 15-year-old girl, (c) a pregnant mother and (d) a grandfather with few teeth.
Solution:
The family cooks once; only the texture, portion and extras change.
Tip
Memory hook: "the faster you grow, the more you need per kilogram". Babies, teenagers and pregnant women are all building new tissue, so they need extra protein, iron and calcium.
Exam technique: for "adapt a meal for…", mention texture, portion size and one key nutrient for that person, with a named food.
Up to what age should a baby receive breast milk only?
Solution: 6 months.
Why do adolescent girls need more iron than younger children?
Solution: They are growing fast, making more blood, and once menstruation begins they lose iron in blood each month. Too little iron causes anaemia.
Name two nutrients a pregnant woman needs more of, and a food for each.
Solution: For example: iron (beans, amaranth); folate (dark green leaves, beans); calcium (milk); protein (eggs, fish).
Suggest two changes that make a meal suitable for an elderly person.
Solution: Make it soft and easy to chew (mashed or finely chopped), serve a smaller portion, use less salt, and give plenty of water. (Any two.)
Summary
Sources and credits
Written by Ganzaa.
