Minimum Acceptable Diet

According to the WHO/UNICEF 2021 guidance (see below), the calculation of this indicator is different for breastfed and non-breastfed children:

Breastfed children: A breastfed child is considered to consume a minimum acceptable diet if the child received at least the minimum dietary diversity and minimum meal frequency for their age during the previous day.

Non-breastfed children: A non-breastfed child is considered to consume a minimum acceptable diet if the child received at least the minimum dietary diversity and minimum meal frequency for their age during the previous day, as well as at least two milk feeds.

To calculate the indicator's value:

  - Add up the number of 1) breastfed and 2) non-breastfed children who consumed a minimum acceptable diet.

  - Divide this number by the total number of surveyed breastfed and non-breastfed children.

  - Multiply the result by 100 to convert it to a percentage.

Disaggregate the data by gender, age groups, and wealth.

1) If the caregiver is taking care of two children aged 6 - 23 months (from the same household) and household sampling has been used, then data should be collected for both children. If a list method has been used and children have been identified as the primary sampling unit, then data should only be collected for the sampled child.

2) For further guidance (including the recommended survey questions), please read the UNICEF/WHO 2021 guidance (see below).

3) Another way of presenting dietary diversity data is by using UNICEF’s concept of Child Food Poverty. According to UNICEF’s report (see below), if children are fed:

      - 0–2 food groups/day, they are living in severe child food poverty

      - 3–4 food groups/day, they are living in moderate child food poverty

      - 5 or more food groups/day, they are not living in child food poverty

4) Minimum Acceptable Diet is one of ECHO's Key Outcome Indicators (see below).