ABSTRACT

Appropriate food choice is the first step toward improving dietary intake and is directly related to nutritional well-being. An inductive approach was used to investigate the food choice process of Umuahia people as participants were asked as series of questions using closed-ended questionnaire, regarding their food choice. Double log model of regression was used to analyse the results from the questionnaire to know the factors affecting the food choice of Umuahia People. This study more clearly delineated those factors affecting food choice of Umuahia people and their relationship to the nutritional well being of the people. Frequency table was used to analyse the foods mostly consumed by Umuahia people. Proximate analysis carried out on soups commonly consumed (oha, uziza, ukazu and ugu and 0kb). The nutrient compositions of these soups vary (P<O.O....) from: 17.28g to 13.49g for moisture, 6.41g to 2.77g for crude fibre, 30.59g to 15.22g for protein, 42, 41 to 19.81 g for fat, 25.47g to 1 9.72g for crude ash, 21 .27g to 1O.89g for carbohydrate, 13.02mg to 8.56g for iron and 3500 IU for pro-vitamin A. These nutrient values were compared to different standards for daily nutrient value and nutrient values of other foods.