Abstract: The period of pre-school children is an important stage for formation and preservation of health in the future. (Bergier et al., 2016). The aim of this research is to study the effect of a developed traditional supplementary snack on underweight pre-schoolers. The sample comprised of preschool children of 42-48 months, from the rural areas of Malappuram district, Kerala. Normal weight for age children formed the control group and underweight children constituted the experimental group. The anthropometric standards of the control group and experiment group showed statistical significance with respect to their height, weight, head circumference, chest circumference, and MUAC measurements. The average weight of children in control group lies in between the WHO reference median and -1SD value.The traditional supplementary snack was made from Barley, green gram, sesame seeds, jaggery and ghee. It provided an additional 1/3 calories for the experimental group. Two balls (100gm) rich in macro and micronutrients (436.5 calories, 8.2 g protein, 171 mg calcium, 119.5 mg phosphorous and 2.55 mg iron) were supplemented daily for a period 3months. The cost was Rs 4.25 /ball(50g).The present study indicated that blending traditional supplementary food can improve the growth rate of underweight preschool children and help catch up and reach normal standards.

Keywords: Preschool children, supplementation, supplementary snack, weight for age, underweight, Barley, green gram, sesame.

| DOI: 10.17148/IARJSET.2021.81012