Abstract
Linear programming has been used in the past to obtain low cost diets meeting certain nutritional requirements. Linear programming was applied to NDpCal%, an index that specifies the nutritional relationships between protein quantity, protein quality, and energy. NDpCal % was expressed mathematically in linear equations so that combinations of food items met a specified NDpCal% at a minimum cost. A low cost food mixture of banana, milk powder, and oil was computed for an NDpCal% of six. This mixture met the protein quality, protein quantity, and energy requirements for a young child. The mixture was then prepared and served to children who found the mixture palatable. Other mathematical models for NDpCal% are considered and implications of this technique in food planning are discussed.

This publication has 6 references indexed in Scilit: