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Globally, approximately one out of every nine people do not get enough food to eat. The situation is more persistent in the sub-Saharan region of Africa with an estimated 23.2% of the population experiencing food deprivation. The aim of this study was to determine the dietary pattern, prevalence of hunger, the association between household hunger and nutritional status of children under 12 years, and the coping strategies that mothers use to adapt to periods of food deprivation in their households in Sekhukhune district. An analytical study design was used. A structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to survey mothers/caregivers and their children from 180 households selected from nine villages by means of systematic random sampling. Anthropometric measurements were used to determine caregivers and children’s nutritional status.