A pilot study is presented as an attempt to modify the traditional method of preparing maize gruel ‘ogi’ the most popular weaning diet in Nigeria. The modification consists of completely grinding the food to a fine paste without sieving. Cooked samples of the unsieved maize gruel were taken for proximate chemical analysis and organoleptical evaluation. Analysis revealed that protein, fat and mineral losses in the unsieved maize gruel were much less. The majority (58%) of mothers of malnourished children rated the cooked modified maize gruel favourably and the overall acceptability was positively rated by 61%. The inference to be drawn is that through food demonstrations and nutritional health information at the nursing mothers' level, the traditional method of preparing the most popular weaning diet in Nigeria can be modified to advantage.
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