Seasonal variations in food consumption by Serere families in Senegal

As part of a comprehensive study of the relationship between nutrition and fertility, a food consumption survey was carried out on 40 Serere households in Senegal, on two separate occasions in 1981: in the middle of the dry season (period of relative abundance) and at the end of the rainy season before the first harvests (at the end of the period of food shortage).

This approach does not estimate individual consumption but does give us a good estimate of family consumption. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the daily per capita intake for each household during the two seasons shows significant differences for peanuts, total pulses and fruits. The only significant effect for nutrients was a general decrease of lipid consumption during the rainy season.

Regardless of season, very few households consumed meat and/or fish. But in those households we noted a tendency to change the diet away from self‐sufficiency towards a diet including purchased foodstuffs.

This analysis confirms the fragility of the nutritional balance in this population with a tendency towards increased difficulties in large size family units.

Key words:

• dietary intake
• energy supply
• protein
• lipid
• food consumption
• family size
• seasonal variations
• Serere, Senegal