By Prof. Raphael Nyarkotey OBU
Tom Brown
I am not a fan of Tom Brown, but after tasting Yommy’s Tom brown, it has become my breakfast meal. What is Tom brown?
Tom Brown is a locally made meal that is usually used to wean babies. The name ‘Tom brown’ is a generic name for a variety of cereals prepared as porridge. It is a thick powder obtained from a combination of yellow corn, millet, guinea corn (cereals), groundnut (peanuts), and soybeans (legumes).
In a 214-gram ration of Tom Brown, there are 43grams of protein and 28grams of fat. It is not fortified with micronutrients and therefore, not a fortified blended food. All the ingredients are added and milled together. This makes a denser, more filling, more viscous meal. I found that the fibre content is likely to be higher, keeping hunger at bay for longer. It may not be as rapidly digested.
This healthy powder is highly nutritious and filling, maintaining your baby’s health even after you’ve stopped breastfeeding. In the case of Nigeria, it’s one of the popular meals used to wean babies. Although it is majorly prepared for and consumed by babies, Tom Brown also serves as food for adults. This is because it’s easy to prepare – basically under 5 minutes. This helps adults cope with their busy schedules and early breakfasts.
It’s best when the corn – yellow maize and guinea corn – is more than the other ingredients, and your millet and soybeans are half the measure of your corn. Corn has more starch compared to millet. It helps to bulk up the meal. The groundnut (peanut) helps to add a pasty texture to the Tom Brown.
Tom Brown, natural babies formula
Complementary feeding is defined as the process starting when breast milk alone is no longer sufficient to meet infants’ nutritional requirements, resulting in the need for other foods and liquids along with breast milk.
According to the World Health Organization(WHO), around the age of 6 months, an infant’s need for energy and nutrients starts to exceed what is provided by breast milk, and complementary foods are necessary to meet those needs. An infant of this age is also developmentally ready for other foods. If complementary foods are not introduced around the age of 6 months, or if they are given inappropriately, an infant’s growth may weaken.
WHO recommends that infants start receiving complementary foods at 6 months of age in addition to breast milk. Initially, they should receive complementary foods 2–3 times a day between 6–8 months and increase to 3–4 times daily between 9–11 months and 12–24 months. Additional nutritious snacks should also be offered 1–2 times per day for ages 12–24 months, as desired.
Local strategy to wean babies
Yommy’s Tom Brown
In developing local strategy, one of the locally complementary feeds is Tom Brown. In choosing, buy a quality Tom Brown powder. For instance, Yommy’s Tom Brown ingredients are locally sourced; and she prepared the powder by herself. Yommy’s Tom Brown could be used for the promotion of breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices.
The high nutrition of Tom Brown’s porridge makes it most popular, especially for weaning babies. It has a high content of minerals, such as calcium and phosphorus, which help in the strong bone formation of your baby. It also contains iron, which has been scientifically proven to increase the metabolism of the body and nourish red blood cells.
Tom Brown makes for an excellent gluten-free meal for both you and your child. People who suffer from celiac disease or gluten sensitivity cannot eat foods that contain gluten. Hence, Tom Brown is a healthy gluten-free option for them.
Tom Brown – Science
One study by Essien et al.(2009) assessed the nutritional quality of the Tom Brown weaning diet. The Tom Brown diet was prepared from the combination of equal proportions of ground maize, groundnut, soybean and guinea corn. The nutritional quality of “Tom Brown” was evaluated from its total nitrogen and protein contents, compared to the contents in Basal and reference diets.
Also, the diets were fed to rats for 10 days to assess the protein quality of the diets. The results showed that the total nitrogen and protein contents of Tom Brown were significantly higher than those obtained for rats on a reference diet. The weight change obtained for rats on “Tom Brown” was insignificantly higher than that obtained for rats on the reference diet. The results of this study showed that Tom Brown is generally of higher nutritional quality compared to those of other diets.
Tom Brown also contains adequate caloric and protein value and quality required for weaning foods (Banigo et al., 1974); Akingbala et al., 1981). The study concluded that since the protein status of Tom Brown and its nutritional impact on rats are comparable to that of a standard-protein reference diet, and the materials for its preparation are readily available and affordable, Tom Brown is recommended for use as weaning food.
More so, patients with nutritional problems, mostly children with kwashiorkor, marasmus and nutritional anaemia may also depend on Tom Brown for their recovery.
Kikelomo Blessing Olanipekun(nd) also explained that Tom Brown contains high fibre, which helps to reduce cholesterol levels and improves bowel issues like constipation. It provides protein, minerals and vitamins needed by the body to reduce chronic diseases.
Take Home
Tom Brown is rich in magnesium, potassium, etc., and is full of nutrients and low in carbohydrates. It helps in controlling diabetes, enhances and boosts energy and the health of the eyes because of the vitamins and minerals present.
Tom Brown supplies essential antioxidants, reduces inflammation or swelling, boost energy levels, control high blood pressure, and are free of unhealthy preservatives. Both adults and babies can eat Tom Brown.
The writer is a Professor of Naturopathic Healthcare, President of Nyarkotey College of Holistic Medicine & Technology (NUCHMT)/African Naturopathic Foundation.
E-mail: [email protected]
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