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• 183 million people cannot afford a healthy diet.
• 1 in 10 children under five lives with chronic malnutrition.
• HALF of preschool children suffer from a lack of at least one of three micronutrients critical for development and health.

The nutritional transition in the region is caused by rapid economic development in many Latin American countries over the past decades, which was accompanied by lifestyle changes with direct implications for people's health. A more Westernised diet and increased access to ultra-processed foods, paired with disorganised rural¨Curban migration and increased physical inactivity, have resulted in increasing overweight and obesity along with persistent high rates of stunting and micronutrient deficiencies.

The Fill the Nutrient Gap (FNG) analysis enables decision-makers to identify the most effective, context-specific interventions that improve access to healthy, nutritious diets for vulnerable groups. Using local food prices and household expenditure data, diet costs and barriers to adequate nutrition are assessed through optimisation modelling. Conducted in collaboration with national stakeholders, FNG results inform policies and programmes across sectors such as social protection, health, food, agriculture, and education to enhance nutrition outcomes.