The role of street foods in the diet of low-income urban residents, the case of Nairobi

Urbanisation and lack of economic growth have resulted in increasing urban poverty in developing countries. As urban residents rely on purchasing their foods, food security of the urban poor is predominantly determined by their purchasing power. Street foods provide many urban residents with employment and income and consumers with a fast and inexpensive source of food. The street food trade lacks official recognition in many developing countries, despite the general assumption that many poor urban families would be worse off without the availability of street foods. However, little is known to which extent street foods and other non-home prepared foods actually contribute to the diet of the urban poor.A cross-sectional survey among 1011 households from a slum and a low-middle-income area of Nairobi revealed that the majority of poor urban households consume street foods at least once a week. To assess the actual contribution of street foods and other non-home prepared foods to the diet, a subsample of 302 households was randomly selected. Within the households individual food intakes of men, women and children aged 9-14 years were assessed with three 24-hour recalls for each person. Although the level of energy and nutrient intake was higher in the low-middle-income than in the slum area, total energy intake was below recommended daily intakes in all groups.The contribution of non-home prepared foods to daily energy intake ranged from 13% for the children in the slum to 36% for the men in the low-middle-income area. The contribution of non-home prepared foods to fat and protein intake was relatively high, while to micronutrient intake it was relatively low. Adequacy of energy and nutrient intakes was similar in consumers and non-consumers from the same area. Street foods were the major source of non-home prepared foods for men, women and children in the slum area. Kiosk foods were the main source of non-home prepared foods for the men in the low-middle-income area, while street and kiosk foods were equally important sources for the women and street foods were the main source for the children from the low-middle-income area. In combination with an observed relation of increasing socio-economic levels within the areas and more complicated determinants of non-home prepared food consumption, it is concluded that non-home prepared foods are an important source of food for all low-income residents and that especially street foods are the most important source for the poorest among them.In view of the growing number of urban residents and the increasing number of poor among them and the role street foods have in providing food and income to the urban poor, the street food trade deserves recognition by local and national authorities and the attention of urban policy makers, in order to improve the opportunities of vendors to ensure their livelihood and to ensure the availability of cheap, safe and nutritious food for low-income consumers.