Nutri-Gardens

Increasing dietary diversity is an important strategy for improving nutritional outcomes. Those who obtain a greater percentage of calories from a single staple food, such as rice, are more likely to experience hidden hunger. One approach to increasing dietary diversity is to introduce nutri-gardens – a method of planting and harvesting nutrient-rich crops in or around residential houses. In addition to ensuring that a diverse variety of food is readily available to families, nutri-gardens can also provide a buffer against increases in the market prices of crops and vegetables and become a source of additional household income.

Various studies have been conducted to establish the consistently positive impact of nutri-gardens on dietary diversity. However, very few have evaluated their impact on nutritional outcomes. To address this gap, Anuvaad is working on a nationwide review of existing evaluations of nutri-gardens, to provide evidence-based guidelines for the promotion of Poshan Vatikas.