Haciendo números: el costo real de una dieta nutritiva en Ecuador

This study aims to estimate the balanced dietary cost in the capital city of Ecuador, a country with high rates of malnutrition and food insecu­rity. By collecting retail food prices in Quito and using macronutrient composition data to set and solve a diet problem, the study identifies the cheapest combination of foods needed to meet nutritional require­ments. Specifically, it identifies three options for minimum cost and nutritionally complete grocery shopping lists that are culturally adapted to Ecuadorian habits. The results show that the reported costs of afford­ing a nutritionally complete diet in Quito, range from US$ 3.09 to US$ 3.64 per day, per person, in December 2022 dollars. However, between 28.23% and 32.75% of Ecuadorians cannot afford this cost even if they spend all their income on food, and undernutrition government programs are not sufficient to address the issue.

• Main Author: Bonilla, Andrea (author)
• Other Authors: Salazar, Yasmín (author), Salazar, Fernanda (author)
• Format: article
• Language: spa
• Published: 2024
• Subjects: Diet problem; Linear programming; Nutrition minimum cost; Malnutrition; Poverty; Problema de dieta; Programación lineal; Costo mínimo de nutrición; Desnutrición; Pobreza
• Online Access: https://estudioseconomicos.bce.fin.ec/index.php/RevistaCE/article/view/481