Use and nutrient composition of traditional Navajo foods
1985
Wolfe, W.S. | Weber, C.W. | Arviso, K.D.
Extract: Traditional foods of the Navajo were examined to determine the adequacy of their traditional diet. Descriptive data on the traditional foods were collected during six months of anthropological fieldwork. Samples of 92 foods were analyzed for proximate composition, eight minerals, and some for two vitamins. The present-day use of these foods was assessed by administering a modified food frequency questionnaire to 86 Navajo women. Wild food plants were found to be infrequently used but nutritious, some had exceptionally high concentrations of vitamin A. Corn foods were more frequently used and had a high mineral content, especially when culinary ash was added. Sheep were often home-butchered, and most parts still consumed. The results suggested that the Navajo would have been able to meet their nutritional requirements with traditional foods if sufficient amounts and proportions were consumed, and that increased use of some of the traditional foods today could mean improved nutrient intakes.(author)
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