Linear programming can be used to predict nutrients that are potentially low in a child’s diet during the complementary feeding period. Such information can be used to direct nutrition intervention program initiatives, because it suggests that foods rich in (or foods fortified
with) these limiting or problem nutrients should be introduced into local diets. These nutrients can be easily identified, because the optimized diet selected by linear
programming will contain these nutrients at their minimum required levels. Furthermore, when the constraint on these nutrients is removed, the objective function will decrease. If the objective function is energy, however, these nutrients will only be identified as problem nutrients
when the energy content of the optimized diet is at or above the energy requirements of the population of interest. In most situations, iron will be a limiting nutrient for
6- to 23-month-old children, which may explain why iron deficiency is difficult to eliminate without ironfortified ironfortified infant foods. Apart from iron, the limiting nutrients
will vary by region and often by season, according to food availability and food price variations in the local market.