Training Presentation: Part 1
UCL Institute for Global Health
Nutrition in Crisis Research Group
Version: 13/10/2015
Learning Objectives
This training presentation is in 2 parts. Part 1
will help you:
1. Understand what NutVal is and what it can be
used for
2. Download, install, and set up the application
3. Find the nutritional content of food assistance
commodities and products in the Food Database
4. Plan a nutritionally adequate food assistance
ration using the Ration Calculator
Learning Objectives
Part 2 will help you learn how to:
5. Save and reload ration data
6. Compare saved rations using the Ration Tracker
7. Use the Logistics Calculator to plan for
programme implementation
8. Understand the On-site Distribution Monitoring
function
An Introduction to NutVal (1/2)
• NutVal is an spreadsheet application developed in
Excel 2010 for the planning, calculation and
monitoring of the Nutritional Value of food
assistance.
• NutVal is designed to make the job of programme
managers, nutritionists and health staff easier and
more effective.
• It aims to help ensure that nutritionally adequate
food assistance is provided so as to minimise public
health problems, particularly micronutrient
deficiencies.
An Introduction to NutVal (2/2)
Downloads, requests for support, and news on the latest
updates can be accessed from the NutVal web site:
http://www.nutval.net
What can you do with it?
NutVal 4 has 5 main functions:
1. Food and Nutrient Database: contains information
on the nutrient content of common food assistance
items
2. Ration Calculator: for calculating the nutrient
content of a food assistance ration for an individual
3. Logistics Calculator: for planning a food assistance
programme
4. Ration Tracking: provides tables and graphs for
comparing the content of different rations
5. On-site Distribution Monitoring: a software tool for
food basket monitoring
You can access these functions using the buttons on the Home page
The Home Page
Function
buttons
Links to
help pages
Click this to
get a better
view
Practice exercises
• The best way to learn is to use. For the rest of this
training, please have a copy of NutVal open so
you flip between this presentation and NutVal as
you work through the exercises that follow.
• Help is available on each NutVal screen
Exercise 1 – Download and Setup NutVal (1/2)
a. Open a web browser and go to:
b. Navigate to the Download page and download the
file to your computer. Please note that NutVal 4 is
designed to work on desktop or laptop computers
running Windows and Microsoft Excel, version
2010 or higher. NutVal may work on Macintosh
computers but its use on Macs is not
recommended.
Exercise 1 – Download and Setup NutVal (2/2)
c.
Once the file has downloaded open Excel and
enable macros. Macros contain the code that
makes the NutVal functions work. To enable
macros in Excel 2010 click:
File -> Options -> Trust Center -> Trust Center
Settings… -> Macro settings and then click the radio
button for the security level you want.
d. Close the NutVal file and then re-open it. The
macro code should now be working and you are
ready to continue using NutVal.
Exercise 2 – Using the Database (1/4)
a. Open NutVal and click on the button to go to
the Food and Nutrient Database. Then click on
the button at the top right of the screen to View
Vitamins
b. Filter the list to display only Cereals and then
sort the list to find out which food has the
highest energy content? To see an image of
what your screen should look like go on to the
next slide…
Database – Filtered to show Cereals and sorted by energy content
Soya Flour, Full fat, Raw is the cereal
with the highest energy content
Exercise 2 – Using the Database (2/4)
Now try and find the answers to the next 3
questions, before going on to the next slide:
c. Click on the button to display Macronutrients
and Minerals. Filter and sort the list to find out
which Vegetable has the highest calcium
content?
d. Which blended food contains the most vitamin
C?
e. Which food item contains the most copper?
Exercise 2 – Using the Database (3/4)
The answers to the 3 previous questions are:
c. Sun dried tomatoes are the vegetable with the
highest calcium content
d. Both WSB and RSB Supercereal Plus contain the
highest concentration of vitamin C (101.7 mg
/100g)
e. Micronutrient Powders (MNP) contain 56 mg of
copper in 100g! But remember that these highly
concentrated MNP are packaged and designed
to be used in very small amounts; usually 1
gram/person/day
Exercise 2 – Using the Database (4/4)
More on MNP...
MNP formulated for under five children are designed so that
a 1g sachet meets the daily RNI for this age group. However,
other product formulations are sometimes available.
Always check the packet!
Programmes using any MNP formulation need to be adjusted
to the context and aligned with current guidance. For further
information on the use of MNP please refer to Home
Fortification with micronutrient Powders (MNP)
http://www.hftag.org/resource/hf-tag_program-brief-dec2011-pdf/ [accessed 13 October 2015].
Exercise 3 – Using the Ration Calculator (1/5)
a. Go to the Home Page and then click the button
to go to the Ration Calculator. Display a typical
maize-based ration by clicking the button at the
bottom left of the screen. Just as with the Food
Database, on the top right hand side of the
screen there are 2 buttons that you can click to
view either energy and vitamins, or, energy and
macronutrients and minerals. Make sure the
Whole Population energy requirement is set to
2,100 kcal (the internationally accepted initial
planning figure used for food assistance).
b. Q. Which nutrients are too low in this ration?
Move to the next 2 slides to check your
answers.
Ration Calculator – Displaying the vitamin content of the built in
Maize-based example ration
When viewing vitamins we see that there is
inadequate content of vitamin B5, B12, D, E, and K in
the ration, so these percentages are highlighted in red
Ration Calculator – Displaying the macronutrient and mineral
content of the built in Maize-based example ration
We can also see that there is inadequate calcium and iron in this
ration, so these percentages are also highlighted in red too
Exercise 3 – Using the Ration Calculator (2/5)
c.
Now display an example wheat-based ration by
clicking the button at the bottom left of the
screen. We can see that this ration is more
diversified and there are fewer deficient
nutrients.
d. Q. Which nutrients are still deficient in this
wheat-based ration? Move to the next two
slides to check your answers.
Ration Calculator – Displaying the vitamin content of the built in
Wheat-based example ration
When viewing vitamins we see that there is inadequate
vitamins B12 and D in the ration so the percentages are
highlighted in red
Ration Calculator – Displaying the macronutrient and mineral
content of the built in Wheat-based example ration
We can also see that there is inadequate calcium in
this ration.
Exercise 3 – Using the Ration Calculator (3/5)
e. We have seen that vitamins B12, D, and calcium
are deficient in this wheat-based ration.
f. Increase the amount of CSB Supercereal to give
the ration an adequate vitamin B12 content.
You will notice that when you do this the
energy content is more than the 100% needed.
g. To bring down the energy content reduce the
vegetable oil to 27g. Then reduce the wheat
content to make the energy content of the
whole ration equal 100%?
h. Go to the next slide and compare your ration
with the answer given.
Ration Calculator – Displaying the vitamin content of the Wheatbased ration with added CSB Supercereal
With 110 g of CSB Supercereal the ration now contains adequate amounts of all
the vitamins. The oil was reduced to 27 g and the wheat content was reduced to
365 g to keep the energy content at 100% of requirements
Ration Calculator – Displaying the macronutrient and mineral
content of the modified Wheat-based example ration
However, you can also see that there is still inadequate
calcium in this ration. Meeting Calcium requirements is very
difficult to achieve with current food assistance rations.
Exercise 3 – Using the Ration Calculator (4/5)
I.
J.
Now view the pie chart of energy sources for this
modified wheat-based ration. What proportion of
energy is coming from carbohydrate?
Do the figures for the proportion of energy coming
from fat and protein agree with the figures on the
main calculator page?
Ration Calculator – Displaying the pie chart of the sources of
energy for the modified wheat-based ration
The pie chart shows that 66% of
energy is coming from
carbohydrate, 15% from protein,
and 19% from fat.
Other graphs are available to view by
clicking buttons at the bottom of the
Ration Calculator. Check them out!
Ration Calculator – Displaying the % energy coming from protein
and fat in the modified Wheat-based example ration
The figures on the main calculator page also show the % of
energy coming from protein and fat. These are the same as
shown in the pie chart. Please note that these percentages
are only displayed when you have clicked the ‘View
Macronutrients and Minerals Button’ at the top right of the
calculator screen.
Exercise 3 – Using the Ration Calculator (5/5)
k.
Now select the maize based ration example and
change the beneficiary group from a general ration
to adolescents. Also, look at the children 6-59
month beneficiary group. What happens to the
energy and nutrient requirements?
Ration Calculator – Displaying the drop down list for different
population groups
When a different population group is selected using the drop down list the
requirement figures change for energy and for all the nutrients. Try selecting
different groups: you will see that the energy requirements for adolescents is
higher than the weighted average figure used for the whole population. For
children 6-59 months the energy requirement is lower than the population
average. Also note that adult males need more energy than females.
Exercise 4 – Saving Data (1/1)
You can save NutVal calculation data in 3 ways:
a. Use the ‘Save Ration’ button to save rations and
reload them within the Ration Calculator. You
can save multiple rations using this method and
compare them in the Ration Tracker.
b. Use the ‘Export Data’ button to save the ration
data in a simple spreadsheet for use in additional
analysis in Excel or other programmes.
c. Save the whole Excel workbook
Saving Data from the Ration Calculator
Click to save ration
data within NutVal
Click to export data as
a simple spreadsheet
Training Presentation: Part 2
UCL Institute for Global Health
Nutrition in Crisis Research Group
Version: 18/12/2014
Learning Objectives for Part 2
In Part 1 we looked at using the Food Database and
Ration Calculator
In part 2 we will now find out how to:
5. Save and reload multiple ration data
6. Compare saved rations using the Ration Tracker
7. Use the Logistics Calculator to plan for programme
implementation
8. Understand the On-site Distribution Monitoring function
Lets continue now with Exercise 5…
Exercise 5 – Using the Ration Tracker (1/4)
As we found out in Exercise 4 in Part 1, we can save
ration data within NutVal by clicking the ‘Save Ration’
button at the bottom of the ‘Ration Calculator’ sheet.
But before we save a new ration lets see if any have
already been saved.
a. Click the ‘Load/Delete’ button at the bottom of the
calculator and a new ‘Saved Ration Data’ window
will appear with a list of any rations that have been
saved. If there any saved rations listed select each
one in turn and press delete to clear them all.
b. Now close the window.
c. Display a ‘Rice-Based Example’ ration by clicking
the button at the bottom left of the Ration
Calculator
Exercise 5 – Using the Ration Tracker (2/4)
d.
Enter a name and date for the ration in the ‘Ration
Name:’ and ‘Date:’ boxes at the bottom of the
calculator. Please enter:
Ration Name: Rice Ration 1
Date: 01/10/2014
e.
f.
Now click the ‘Save Ration’ button to save the
ration.
To check everything is as it should be now click the
‘Load/Delete’ button and your screen should look
like the next slide.
The Saved Ration Data Window
The name and date of saved rations
are displayed in the dialogue box
Exercise 5 – Using the Ration Tracker (3/4)
g.
h.
i.
Next reduce the amount of rice to 200 g and
increase the amount of CSB Supercereal to 100 g.
Enter a new name and date for the ration: ‘Rice
Ration 2’ and ‘01/11/2014’ and click the ‘Save
Ration’ button to save it.
For the final ration, add 20 g of ‘LEAVES, DARK
GREEN, e.g. SPINACH’. Then save this ration as ‘Rice
Ration 3’ with a date of ‘01/12/2014’
j.
Now lets check everything is as it should be. Click
the ‘Load/Delete’ button and compare your screen
against the next slide.
The Saved Ration Data Window
You should now see all three saved
rations listed here.
Exercise 5 – Using the Ration Tracker (4/4)
k.
l.
We can now compare these 3 saved rations using
the Ration Tracker. Click the ‘Ration Tracker’ button
at the top of the calculator and a table of the 3
rations will be displayed.
To check everything is looking good compare your
screen to the next slide.
The Ration Tracker table
Use these buttons to
view graphs that
compare the %
nutrient adequacy of
the different rations
The table shows the
nutrient content of the
rations saved in the
Ration Calculator
Exercise 6 – Using the Logistics Calculator
(1/2)
a.
b.
c.
Go to the Ration Calculator and load Rice Ration 3
(01/12/2014), which you saved in exercise 5.
Now click the ‘Logistics Calculator’ button to
calculate requirements for your food assistance
programme in the Logistics Calculator.
Go to the next slide for information on what data to
enter.
Logistics Calculator: Where to enter data
(1) Enter the number
of beneficiaries here
(2) Enter the expected duration of the
programme here in months. Note that
a month is defined here as 30 days
(3) A % allowance for losses
and milling can be entered in
these columns
(5) The total
cost is
displayed
here
(4) Costs for procurement,
transportation, and handling
should be entered in these
columns
Exercise 6 – Using the Logistics Calculator
(2/2)
d.
In the Logistics Calculator enter the following data
for an example food assistance programme.
Number of beneficiaries
Duration of programme
Allowance for losses
Allowance for milling
FOB Prices
Rice
Lentils
Vegetable oil
CSB Supercereal
Sugar
Salt
Dark green leafy vegetables
Transport costs/MT*
LTSH/MT*
1,000
6 months
2%
0% (as white rice
is being provided)
US$ 420.00
US$ 350.00
US$ 1200.00
US$ 1500.00
US$ 450.00
US$ 100.00
US$ 800.00
US$ 10.00
US$ 8.00
*For this exercise we will assume transport and storage costs are the
same for all food items
Logistics Calculator: Example Programme Calculation
The total cost of 63,430 is displayed here. Remember to chose
and use one currency consistently in the calculator. NutVal does
not convert the amounts you enter into Euros or US$.
Exercise 7 – On-site Distribution Monitoring
(1/1)
a)
b)
Monitoring the receipt of food assistance at
distribution sites is an important part of best
practice in food assistance programmes. An On-site
Distribution Monitoring tool is provided in NutVal
to assist with the collection and analysis of this
data.
Details of the ration and distribution should be
entered into the data entry sheet. Once data entry
is complete, results can viewed by clicking the
‘View Results’ button on the top right of the sheets.
The On-site Distribution Monitoring Sheet
(3) Click here
to view an
analysis of
the results.
(1) Information
on the planned
distribution
should be
entered here.
(2) The weights of food items received by at least 30
randomly sampled beneficiaries should be entered here.
Recap (1/2)
This training presentation has covered:
1. Understanding what NutVal is and what it can
be used for
2. Downloading, installing, and setting up the
application
3. Looking up the nutritional content of common
food assistance commodities and products in
the Food Database
Recap (2/2)
4. Planning a nutritionally adequate food
assistance ration for a general food distribution
and for population sub-groups using the Ration
Calculator
5. Saving and reloading ration data
6. Comparing saved rations in the Ration Tracker
7. Using the Logistics Calculator to plan for
programme implementation
8. An overview of the On-site Distribution
Monitoring function
And finally…
Please remember to check online regularly to make
sure you are using the most up to date version of
NutVal for your work.
http://www.nutval.net
If you have a suggestion for a new function, a new
item for the food database, or you notice any
problems please visit the web site or email:
support@nutval.net
Thank you!