Nutritional Composition and Sensory Acceptability of a pearl millet-Based Complementary Diet Enriched with Soybean, Groundnut, and Dates for Infants and Young Children (6–24 Months)

Complementary foods are foods and liquids other than breast milk or infant formulas required during the second part of the first year of life for both nutritional and developmental reasons and also to enable transition from milk feeding to family foods. In Nigeria, traditional cereal-based gruels (ogi/akamu/pap) are nutritionally inadequate, and recent inflation has further compromised food security, increasing malnutrition among infants and young children. This study evaluated the nutrient composition and sensory properties of a complementary food formulated from pearl millet, soybean, groundnut, and dates at a ratio of 6:3:1:1. Standard AOAC methods were used to determine proximate composition, while texture, taste, appearance, and overall acceptability were assessed using a 6-point hedonic scale. The formulated food contained 418.02 kcal/100 g, with 57.98% carbohydrate, 17.50% protein, 12.90% fat, 5.70% moisture, 4.90% fiber, and 1.02% ash. Sensory evaluation indicated that taste (5.40), texture (5.13), and appearance (5.00) were well accepted. These results demonstrate that nutritionally enhanced complementary foods with satisfactory sensory attributes can be produced by combining nutrient-dense crops such as dates, legumes, and cereals. The inclusion of dates, in particular, improves both palatability and nutrient quality, making this formulation a viable, affordable alternative to traditional gruels for infants aged 6–24 months.