There has been increased emphasis on the consumption and utilization of affordable, and locally available indigenous foods in formulating food supplements due to the evidence-based nutritional and pharmacological value. Several studies have been devoted to how best these foods can be prepared, singly or as composites to come up with safe and nutritious foods that are acceptable to the target population. One of such composites that include oyster mushrooms and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, millet, pumpkin seeds, and milk powder has been successfully developed at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya. The flour with the acronym MMUSTMUG is rich in thiamin, fiber, low in fat, sodium free, good source of iron, and high in vitamin A. Acceptability of this flour is, however, key to it being embraced by the target population. The objective of the current study was to assess the acceptability of both the flour and its porridge in a cross-sectional study among 50 mother-child dyads at Nabongo dispensary in Kakamega County. Questionnaires on the appreciation of the food were administered to establish sensory liking and general acceptability of the porridge and the flour by the caregivers. These were assessed on a five-point hedonic scale. General comments by the mothers/caregivers were recorded verbatim. The porridge was considered acceptable if the child consumed at least 75% of the 100mls served. Means and standard deviations were calculated for the liking of the sensory attributes of the food. Among the participating children, 76% (n=38) consumed ≥75 mls of the served porridge. The means and the standard deviations of the liking for the sensory attributes of the porridge by the parents/caregivers were: (4.78±0.58) for color, (4.76±0.48) for aroma, (4.82±0.44) for taste and (4.80±0.50) for texture whereas the sensory evaluation of the porridge by infants stood at (4.14±1.20) on first sight of the porridge, (2.72±1.58) when child first received porridge and (4.38±0.97) on subsequent offers of the porridge. The color, aroma and texture of the flour were also highly rated. There was a positive correlation (Pearson’s correlation) between the age of the child and the amount of porridge consumed. Both MMUSTMUG flour and porridge were acceptable to the study population and because of the better nutritional value should be promoted in the target population to help manage malnutrition.

Rugby is a sport that has great physical and physiological demands that come with heavy requirements on the body’s nutrient stores. Nutrition plays a key role when it comes to good performance in rugby and in turn, aspects of nutrition specifically relevant to rugby are used to improve on how an athlete performs throughout the year: pre-season, competition season and off season. Despite the tremendous growth of rugby within the global and Kenyan scene, there are few studies that have been done on the nutrition knowledge and practices of elite rugby union players. The general objective of this study was to investigate the nutritional knowledge and practices of elite rugby players in Kenya. This study adopted the descriptive cross-sectional design. The research was carried out in Nairobi and Kakamega counties in Kenya. Purposive sampling was used to select elite rugby players called up to the national team and the sample size for this study was sixty-seven (67). The data was analysed using SPSS version 25. The study’s results showed that 46% of the respondents were found to be in the age bracket of 25-30 years, with 52% of the respondents having attained tertiary education. Sixty percent (60%) of the respondents played the back position. A large proportion (75%) of the respondents correctly responded that carbohydrates were the main source of energy for the body, whereas only 23% correctly responded that sports drinks are the best to replace fluids on the field of play. The average daily kilocalorie intake of the respondents was low at 2097kcal against a recommended 2165kcal. Milk and milk products were the most consumed sources of protein at 37% (5-6 times a week). Cereals were the most common sources of energy at 30% (daily). There was no significant relationship between nutrition practice and nutrition knowledge amongst elite rugby players in Kenya (r (67) = -0.106, p = .400.). In conclusion, good nutrition knowledge did not necessarily translate to better nutrition practices. There is need for increased nutrition education amongst elite rugby players to ensure dietary intake is per set recommendations. Key words: nutrition, knowledge, rugby union, elite rugby players, practice, dietary intake