摘要:Introduction. An adopted measure to diminish the malnutrition in Brazil is the use of mixtures base on not conventional foods (alternative feeding). Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of the use of an alternative Alimentary Supplement in the ponderal gain of rats. Methods. After it weans it, 42 male animals, Wistar, had been divided in 7 groups (n=6) fed to the casein base, to the base of the diet of the city of Quissamã/RJ (who uses the alternative feeding in the treatment of undernourished children) and both increased or not with the Alimentary Supplement, vitamins and minerals. All the rations had been prepared with 10% of proteins (AIN 93G). The animals had been kept in polypropylene river steamers, in environment with constant temperature and adequate illumination. The water and the ration had been offered ad libitum and had been registered the weight, the consumption of ration and protein to each two days for determination of PER (Protein Efficiency Ratio) and CEA (Coefficient of Alimentary Effectiveness). Through collected excrements, the CDap (Coefficient of Apparent Digestibility) was determined. To the results, ANOVA was applied. Results. In the end of 28 days, the groups to the casein base had presented similar values of ponderal variation, PER and CEA, with exception of that one to which were only added the Alimentary Supplement, that was extremely inferior (p£0,0000) to excessively. The groups fed to the base of the diet of the City of Quissama/RJ had gotten similar ponderal variation to the groups with casein, having suggested to be unnecessary the addition of the Alimentary Supplement to this diet. The digestibility of these groups was inferior (p≤0,0000) to those fed with casein, protein of high biological value. Conclusion. We conclude that the addition of the Alimentary Supplement to the experimental groups that had as proteic base the Diet of Quissama/RJ did not influence in a beneficial way the growth and development of these animals.