Enhancing Food Security Through Cooking Demonstrations

Food security is built on four dimensions: physical availability of food, economic and physical access to food, food utilization, and stability of the other three over time. Among these, utilization refers to how the body effectively absorbs and uses nutrients. It is influenced by care practices, food preparation, dietary diversity, and intra-household food distribution.

To achieve food security, all four dimensions must be fulfilled simultaneously. One impactful intervention in Zambia that supports food utilization is co oking demonstrations, which promote the preparation and consumption of nutritious and diverse meals using locally available ingredients.

Empowering Mothers Through Cooking Demonstrations in Zimba

In Zimba district, Southern Zambia, a public health nutritionist and two food and nutrition technologists, with support from community health workers, convened a group of expectant and breastfeeding mothers for a cooking demonstration. This initiative is crucial, as 24% of Zambian children under five experience severe child food poverty, meaning they consume just two or fewer food groups per day.

These demonstrations equip mothers with knowledge and practical skills to prepare nutritious meals that combat malnutrition and food poverty. Targeting pregnant and breastfeeding mothers is strategic because it focuses on the first 1,000 days of a child's life, a critical window for healthy growth and development.

Beyond Access: The Knowledge Gap in Food Preparation

While many families in the community cultivate crops and rear livestock, there is limited knowledge on preparing nutritionally balanced meals. Zambia’s monodiet culture—which heavily relies on maize-based meals—limits dietary diversity.

For instance, porridge, a staple for babies over six months, is often made with just maize meal, water, salt, and sugar—lacking essential nutrients. Through these cooking demonstrations, mothers learn how to enhance porridge by incorporating vegetables like Bondwe (Amaranthus caudatus-L) and protein sources such as eggs and kapenta (sardines), significantly improving its nutritional value.

The Role of Community Involvement and Sustainability

Cooking demonstrations thrive when local authorities, health professionals, and community members collaborate. 

A key aspect of sustainability lies in:

  • Community contributions of ingredients for cooking demonstrations.

  • The promotion of backyard gardens, ensuring consistent access to fresh produce.

  • A “doing with, not for” approach, where communities take ownership of solutions, making them more likely to continue the practices independently.

Integrating WASH: A Pathway to Better Nutrition

In addition to cooking demonstrations, this initiative included water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) education. Evidence shows a strong link between undernutrition and poor sanitation. Lack of clean water and proper hygiene can lead to diarrheal diseases, which hinder nutrient absorption and worsen malnutrition.

By addressing both food security and WASH, this initiative promotes a holistic approach to improving nutrition outcomes in Zimba and beyond.

By Rodgers Moonga and Nsungwe Mulendema


Rodgers Moonga and Nsungwe Mulendema