Researchers in Niger asked families what their children, teenage girls, and women ate over one day to understand their nutrition. They found that while people were getting enough calories, they weren’t eating enough foods with important nutrients like calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin B12. Most of their diet came from carbohydrates (like grains), with very little protein or healthy fats. The study included over 3,300 people across five regions and shows that Niger needs to help families eat more nutritious foods, especially those with animal products and diverse plant foods.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: What children ages 2-5, teenage girls ages 10-18, and women ages 19-49 in Niger actually eat and whether they’re getting enough important nutrients like vitamins and minerals.
  • Who participated: A total of 3,367 people: 1,209 young children, 1,105 teenage girls, and 1,053 women from five different regions across Niger. The researchers selected people to represent the whole population fairly.
  • Key finding: While people were eating enough calories overall, they were getting far too little calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin B12—nutrients needed for strong bones, good eyesight, and healthy blood. Most of their food came from grains and carbohydrates, with very little meat or dairy.
  • What it means for you: If you live in Niger or similar areas, this suggests families should try to eat more diverse foods, especially animal products like eggs, milk, and meat when possible, plus more colorful vegetables. However, this research describes a specific situation in Niger and may not apply everywhere.

The Research Details

Researchers conducted Niger’s first major survey asking families what they ate. They used a method called 24-hour recall, where they asked people to remember everything they ate the day before. To make sure the information was accurate, they asked 20% of the people the same questions again a few weeks later. This repeat method helps researchers understand what people normally eat, not just what they happened to eat on one unusual day.

The study included people from five regions across Niger: Dosso, Maradi, Tahoua, Tillabéri, and Zinder. The researchers carefully selected groups of children, teenage girls, and women to represent the larger population in each area. This approach helps ensure the findings reflect what’s actually happening across the country, not just in one neighborhood.

Understanding what people actually eat is crucial for governments and health organizations to make good decisions about food programs and policies. By measuring real food intake rather than guessing, researchers can identify exactly which nutrients are missing and create targeted solutions. This is especially important for vulnerable groups like young children and teenage girls, whose growing bodies need good nutrition.

This study is the first of its kind in Niger, making it valuable and unique. The researchers used a scientifically recognized method (National Cancer Institute method) to estimate usual intakes rather than relying on single-day snapshots. They included a large, representative sample across multiple regions, which strengthens the findings. However, the study relies on people remembering what they ate, which can sometimes be inaccurate. The findings are most reliable for describing patterns across groups rather than individual diets.

What the Results Show

The study found that children ages 2-5 were eating about 1,413 calories per day on average, teenage girls about 2,227 calories, and women about 2,552 calories. These amounts are roughly in line with what growing bodies need for energy.

However, the quality of those calories was concerning. More than 69% of calories came from carbohydrates (mainly grains like millet and rice), while only about 20% came from fats and just 10% from protein. This imbalance means people weren’t eating enough foods that build muscle and support growth.

Most troubling were the findings about specific nutrients. Calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin B12 were dangerously low across all three groups and in all five regions studied. For example, only about 11% of children’s protein came from animal sources like meat, eggs, or dairy—the rest came from plant-based sources, which are often less complete in nutrition.

The study also revealed that the nutrient gaps were consistent across all five regions of Niger, suggesting this is a widespread problem rather than an issue in just one area. The pattern was similar for children, teenage girls, and women, indicating that the food system isn’t meeting nutritional needs for any of these vulnerable groups. The heavy reliance on carbohydrates with minimal animal protein suggests limited access to or affordability of diverse, nutrient-rich foods.

This is Niger’s first quantitative food consumption survey, so direct comparisons within the country aren’t possible. However, similar patterns of micronutrient deficiencies (especially calcium, vitamin A, and B12) have been documented in other low-income countries in West Africa. The high carbohydrate dependence is typical of regions where grains are the primary affordable staple food. This study confirms that Niger faces nutrition challenges similar to neighboring countries.

The study relies on people remembering what they ate, which can be inaccurate—people might forget foods or overestimate portions. The 24-hour recall captures what people ate on specific days, which might not represent their usual diet if they had an unusual day. The study describes what people are eating but doesn’t explain why (poverty, food availability, cultural preferences, or lack of knowledge). Additionally, the study doesn’t measure whether people are actually malnourished or sick from these nutrient gaps, only that their reported intake is low.

The Bottom Line

Based on this research, Niger should prioritize: (1) increasing access to calcium-rich foods like dairy, leafy greens, and fortified grains; (2) promoting vitamin A-rich foods like orange vegetables and liver; (3) improving access to vitamin B12 sources like meat, eggs, and fortified foods; (4) diversifying diets beyond grains to include more protein and healthy fats. These recommendations have moderate-to-strong evidence support from nutrition science. Families should aim to include at least one animal protein source daily and eat colorful vegetables when possible.

This research is most relevant to people living in Niger and similar low-income regions with limited food diversity. It’s important for government officials, health workers, and organizations working on food security and nutrition. Parents and caregivers in affected areas should be aware that their children may need nutritional support. However, people in areas with diverse food access may not face these same challenges.

Improving nutrition through dietary changes typically takes weeks to months to show health benefits like improved energy and growth. However, preventing serious deficiency diseases like rickets (from calcium deficiency) or blindness (from vitamin A deficiency) requires consistent good nutrition over months to years. Quick fixes through supplements might help, but long-term food system changes are needed for lasting improvement.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Users in affected areas should track daily intake of calcium sources (dairy, leafy greens), vitamin A sources (orange/red vegetables, liver), and vitamin B12 sources (meat, eggs, fortified foods). Set a goal to include at least one source from each category daily and monitor weekly compliance.
  • The app could help users identify affordable local foods rich in these nutrients and suggest simple meal combinations. For example: ‘Add one egg to breakfast’ or ‘Include leafy greens in lunch.’ Users could set reminders to include diverse protein sources and track which family members are meeting basic nutrient targets.
  • Track weekly dietary diversity scores (number of different food groups consumed), monitor specific nutrient sources consumed, and set monthly goals for increasing animal protein intake. The app could provide feedback on whether the diet is becoming more balanced and celebrate progress toward including all nutrient groups.

This research describes nutrition patterns in specific regions of Niger and should not be used for individual medical diagnosis or treatment. If you or a family member shows signs of malnutrition (poor growth, fatigue, infections), consult a healthcare provider. This study identifies population-level nutrition gaps and is intended to inform public health policy and food programs, not replace medical advice. Individual nutritional needs vary based on age, activity level, health status, and other factors.