About 150 women in five communities in the Savelugu Municipality have received training on improved ways of preparing indigenous leafy vegetables as part of efforts to tackle micronutrient deficiencies among women and children.
The initiative, which targeted women from Zaazi, Libga, Moglaa, Yizegu and Bihinaayili, focused on nutrition education, dietary diversity and practical cooking techniques aimed at preserving essential nutrients in locally available vegetables.
The training was organised by the Centre for Sustainable Rural Agriculture and Development (CSRAD) at Zaazi under the two-year Nature-Plus Project, which promotes sustainable production and improved nutritional value of amaranth and other indigenous leafy vegetables.
Participants were introduced to the Four-Star Diet, the concept of hidden hunger and the importance of consuming a diverse range of foods to address micronutrient deficiencies.
They were also educated on the potential effects of poor nutrition on children’s growth, development, learning and immunity, as well as the health and wellbeing of pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Focus on better food preparation
Practical cooking demonstrations formed a major part of the training, with participants learning new ways to incorporate indigenous vegetables into everyday meals.
Meals prepared included Bra (Roselle) soup with Tuo Zaafi, improved Ayoyo (Jute Mallow) soup with TZ or banku, Aleefu (Amaranth) stew with vegetable rice, and Tubani enriched with Aleefu.
Locally available spices and ingredients were used to demonstrate that nutritious meals could be prepared without relying on expensive food products.
Executive Director of CSRAD and Project Lead, Dr Michael Kermah, said the training was informed by findings from a household survey involving 240 households in 27 rural communities.
He said the survey revealed that diets in the communities were largely cereal-based, with limited consumption of fruits and animal-source foods such as eggs, milk and other dairy products.
According to him, indigenous leafy vegetables such as amaranth and jute mallow offered a readily available means of improving dietary diversity and micronutrient intake.
He said the vegetables had therefore been prioritised under the Nature-Plus Project for agronomic biofortification to further improve their nutritional value.
Dr Kermah, however, noted that producing nutrient-rich vegetables alone was not enough, as some household practices could reduce the nutritional benefits of the food during preparation.
He cited excessive washing, throwing away water used for pre-boiling and prolonged cooking as practices that could contribute to the loss of essential micronutrients.
“The nutrition education and cooking demonstrations were therefore designed to equip women with improved post-harvest handling and food preparation practices that could help retain essential micronutrients,” he said.
He encouraged participants to apply the lessons in their homes to ensure that the vegetables they grow and prepare provide maximum nutritional benefits to their families.
Nutrition officer urges use of local foods
Principal Nutrition Officer at the Tamale Regional Hospital, Madam Gertrude Latifa Accrachie, who led the nutrition education session, said the cooking demonstration exposed a gap between knowledge and actual food preparation practices.
She urged participants to turn the lessons into everyday habits.
Madam Accrachie stressed that healthy diets did not necessarily require expensive foods, noting that indigenous vegetables could be combined with nutrient-rich local foods such as eggs, wagashi, beans, soybeans and egusi.
She also encouraged the women to establish backyard and sack gardens, particularly during the dry season, to ensure regular access to fresh leafy vegetables.
She described micronutrient deficiency, or hidden hunger, as a significant public health concern, particularly in northern Ghana.
She explained that nutrients such as iron, iodine and zinc were essential for growth, eyesight, blood formation and brain development, and warned that deficiencies could have serious health consequences.
Madam Accrachie further disclosed that one in three adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 is anaemic, describing the situation as worrying and calling for greater attention to dietary practices.
Participants commit to changing cooking practices
A participant from Moglaa, Madam Fadila Mohamed, said the training had given her new skills in preparing Bra soup and other meals using indigenous leafy vegetables.
“I have learned how to cook Bra soup, and I have learned new ways of cooking it,” she said, promising to apply the lessons when preparing meals for her family.
The Nature-Plus Project, funded by The Conservation, Food & Health Foundation, uses nature-based farming approaches, including soil solarisation and Black Soldier Fly (BSF) frass, to promote sustainable production of amaranth and other indigenous leafy vegetables.
The project seeks to improve food and nutrition security among rural households while reducing reliance on chemical fertilisers and pesticides and promoting better environmental and human health.
