Nutritional Evaluation and Functional Analysis of Children’s Food Made from Maize, Dates, Groundnut and Soyabeans for Household Use

The study reports the Nutrition, physiochemical, functional analysis of complementary food made from maize, dates, groundnut and soya beans. The nutritional, chemical and mineral analysis was investigated by analyzing the moisture content, crude protein, crude oil, ash content, crude fibre, carbohydrate content, phosphorus and ascorbic acid. The Association of Official Analytical Chemist (AOAC, 1990) methods were used. The proximate composition of maize soya beans groundnut dates base complementary food shows moisture, 4.96 ± 0 .19, ash = 0.57 ± 0.03, lipid = 24.97 ± 0.12, protein = 13.15 ± 0.40, fibre = 0.00 ± 0.00, CHO = 56.36 ± 0. 11. Functional properties of maize soybeans groundnut dates based complementary food: bulk density (BD) = 0.66, Water Absorption Capacity (WAC) = 4.30, Oil holding Capacity (OHC) = 2.11, swelling capacity (SC) = 0.30, PH = 6.15. The sensory evaluation results was; aroma = 56.3333±45.74203, colour = 40.0000±35.80503, texture = 43.2500±37.55330, overall acceptability = 84.5000 ± 4.94975, palatability = 85.0000 ± 7.07107, taste = 56.3333±45.74203. From the results of the study, the following conclusions were made; the essential nutrients needed for the wellbeing of households and that of a growing child is present in appreciable amounts and has acceptable properties (Colour, texture, taste, etc.). Therefore, the study recommends that families or households should utilize these complementary foods, as they are relativity cheaper in procurement and nutritionally adequate.