Effect of supplementary groundnut flour fortified with vitamins and minerals on the growth and nutritional status of children subsisting on a poor Indian diet based on rice.

The diets consumed by children belonging to
the low income groups of population in India
and other developing countries consist mainly
of cereals and tuber flours and lack in protein
rich and protective foods like milk, eggs etc1.
Such diets are deficient in proteins, vitamins and
minerals and consequently the rate of growth of
children in the above regions is sub-optimal8.
Protective foods like milk, eggs etc. are not
available in adequate amounts. In view of this,
the problem of providing alternate sources
of supplementary foods based on locally available
protein rich foods such as oilseed meals and
legumes has received the attention of a number
of workers3,5. In the preceding papers of this
series the results of studies on the preparation
and nutritive value of fortified groundnut
flour have been reported6,9. The present paper
deals with studies on the supplementary value of
groundnut flour fortified with vitamins and
minerals to the diets of school children.