Food beliefs and practices among the Kalenjin pregnant women in rural Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Table 3 Food recommended during pregnancy

Food type	Reason	Percentage (N = 154)
Traditional vegetables (Table 4)	Increase blood of the mother, gives strength to the mother and reduces heartburn	89
Milk	Gives strength to the mother, builds body and adds blood to the mother	63
Fruits^a	Increase blood to the mother and protect the baby	35
Traditional herbs	Give strength to the mother, protect the baby, immunity booster to mother and foetus, reduce heartburn, ‘evil eyes’ and misfortunes and gastro-intestinal discomfort, increases uterine contractions during labour	34
Ugali ^b	Gives strength to the mother	32
Porridge	Gives strength to the mother and increases the mother’s blood	32
Liver^c	Increases blood of the mother	24
Water	Gives strength to the mother	15
Animal blood^d	Increases blood of the mother	13
Beans	Gives strength to the mother and increases blood of the mother	12
Fish	Builds body and increases blood of the mother	11
Red soil and soft stones^e	Increases blood to mother	7
Meat^f	Adds blood to, and builds body of, the mother	7
Cooked bananas	Gives strength to the mother	5

^aOranges (Citrus sinensis), tangerine (Citrus reticulate), tamarillo (Solanum betaceum), passion (Passiflora edulis), pineapples (Ananas comosus), pawpaw (Carica papaya), Tamarillo
^bLocally known as Kimyet a paste of cooked maize flour, millet flour or sorghum flour, sometimes mixed with cassava flour
^cCommonly obtained from either sheep, goat, cow or chicken
^dObtained from either sheep, goat or cow
^eAlso called pica, the craving and purposeful consumption of substances not commonly identified as food
^fCommonly obtained from goat, sheep, cow, or chicken

ISSN: 1746-4269