Chijioke Iremeka As the prices of food items continue to soar, nutritionists have said families with low income could consume a healthy diet by embracing locally-grown food. The nutritionists advised that out of the 10 classes of food available, people should try and combine at least five of the 10 food classes to achieve a healthy diet for their families. PUNCH Healthwise reported that the average cost of a healthy diet for a Nigerian adult rose from N858 in January to N1,241 in June 2024, the June ‘Cost of Healthy Diet,’ according to a report produced by the National Bureau of Statistics and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition.
The NBS report showed that the CoHD increased by 45 per cent in the first six months of 2024, while the general inflation and food inflation rose to 33 and 40 per cent, respectively. The NBS noted that the June figure was 19 per cent higher than N1,041 per adult per day reported in May 2024. According to the World Bank, CoHD is the cost of purchasing the least expensive locally available foods to meet the requirement for energy and food-based dietary guidelines in current purchasing power parities.
The Director of Nutrition Services and Health Education at the Osun State Primary Health Care Development Board, James Oloyede, said combining home-grown foods to achieve a healthy diet was a major challenge for many households in the country. Oloyede emphasised that for Nigerians to feed healthily amid rising prices of staple food, they have to.