Table 3 Category: Changes in food practices for children under 5 years-old

Abandonment of corn and its derivatives

- Mothers and children prefer rice, bread, and wheat flour for making tortillas and pastas; they abandoned corn-based foods as tostados (oven-toasted corn tortilla), “envueltos” (a traditional dish of masa wrapped in corn-husks), and “coladas” (a hot thick drink).

“… we used to give our children corn soup with collard greens and beans. Arracacha, zucchini, C, mote, beans, and mote with lots of beans. That’s what we used to eat before. That’s what we used to give the children. Now all they want to eat is things from the store, noodles, rice, potato chips…” (Grandmother 59 years-4 sons-5 grandsons)

Current predominance of rice and bread in food

Mothers and children prefer to mix rice with eggs, chicken, sardines, or potato chips. They prefer bread, which has replaced the consumption of corn “envueltos”, beans, collard greens, “arracacha” (Arracacia xanthorriza), zucchini, and peas

Perception of less natural and healthy feeding than before

Increase in the use of salt and Knorr® bouillon cubes

Different preparations with “Manteca” and oil. In the past tortillas were not fried but rather toasted over flame

“…before, everything used to be prepared without salt. When you would go, they would have a bundle of salt like this next to the stove, it was that type of coarse salt. When you got there, they would put a grain of salt in the spoon and mix it that way. But it was food without anything, no salt.” (Grandmother 73 years-8 sons-4 grandsons)