Assessment of Nutrient Intake of Rural School Going Children (7-9 Years) of Hisar District, Haryana

Nutrient intake of 100 school going children (7-9 years) in two villages i. e. Kaimri and Mangali of Hisar I block was studied. Dietary assessment was done by 24 hour dietary recall method for three consecutive days of 100 children. Amount of nutrients obtained per day from food consumed was calculated and compared with RDA for Indian children (ICMR, 2009). Nutrients like energy, fat, - carotene, B-complex vitamins, Vitamin C, Iron and Calcium were found limiting in the diets of school children. It was also observed that the nutrient intake was higher in boys as compared to girls. Nutritional inadequacies, poverty, lack of infrastructure and poor education of mother lead to severe malnutrition in school going children. This condition needs careful consideration. There is an urgent need to promote the importance of balanced diet and preparation of nutrient-rich recipes based on locally available food stuffs to improve their nutrient intake. Awareness programs regarding affordable but nutritious foods should be introduced by the government through community participation, involvement of non-governmental organisations and other sectors.