Nutrition

Fufu and Light Soup

Fufu and Chicken light soup pics

Fufu and light soup is a traditional Ghanaian dish; it is delicious food that you won’t want to miss out on when it comes to Ghanaian cuisine.

Light soup is tomato based. Fish, goat, lamb, chicken, beef, or pork can all be used to make this light soup.

Basically, Fufu in Ghana is derived by combining cassava and plantain.

Ingredients

Fresh tomatoes

Beef/Goat meat/ Chicken/ Lamb meat

Fresh fish (tilapia or catfish)

Tomato paste

Chili peppers

2 large onions

3 spoonful of salt

Seasoning

3 teaspoonful of ginger and

garlic

4 fingers of okro

Fufu Ingredients

Fresh cassava

Unripe plantain

How to make Ghana Light Soup

-First of all clean your fish, remove the gills and the innards then rinse in clean water and set aside. Thereafter, wash the meat and equally keep it aside.

-Secondly, blend your ginger, garlic, onion, seasoning cube, salt, and spices, scoop some quantity into the fish and marinate the fish, cover and set aside.

-In a pot containing the meat pour the remaining blended garlic and ginger mixture, add the tomato paste, salt, bay leaf, with more water, cover and cook for about 10 minutes.

-Thirdly, wash your tomatoes, onions, and pepper and remove the stem of pepper, scrap off the onion head.

-Place fresh tomatoes, onions, pepper into a clean pot and pour 1 cup of water into the pot and bring to boil.

-Next is to remove the fresh tomatoes, pepper, and onions from heat and blend. Ensure you don’t discard the boiled water from the tomatoes rather use it to blend the tomatoes; or pour into the meat, add more water.

Finally, bring soup to a simmer over low heat for like 15 minutes then add the fresh fish; clean your okra/ okro and add into the cooking pot, cover and cook to doneness.

Optional: Sieve the soup if you like to get the clear light look of the soup else skip the process.

Light soup is ready.

How to make Ghana Fufu

On the same note, cassava flour can be used in place of fresh cassava tubers.

First of all, peel the skin of your cassava tuber and plantains then boil for about 25-30 minutes to tender.

Secondly, using a mortar and pestle which is the major instrument for local pounding, or use a Yam pounder machine to pound it.

Start with the plantain, thereafter add the cassava, sprinkle some water as you pound for easy pounding until a smooth paste is achieved; Your smooth fufu is ready.

Source: shopafricausa.com

Nutrition

Malnutrition in Ghana: A policy crisis hiding in plain sight

Let's fight malnutrition in Ghana

For many Ghanaians, “malnutrition” is often misunderstood as simply a lack of food. But nutrition experts say the reality is far more complex and far more urgent. It is not just about being hungry. It’s about not getting the right nutrients at the right time, especially for children under five and pregnant women. While the consequences are dire, the real danger lies in how little political attention the issue receives.

According to the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, 12 per cent of children are underweight, and 6 per cent suffer from wasting, the most life-threatening form of malnutrition. Meanwhile, anaemia affects nearly 50 per cent of women of reproductive age, increasing risks during pregnancy and childbirth.

Nutrition interventions, like vitamin supplementation, school feeding, and treatment for severe malnutrition, are essential to saving lives and securing a healthy population. Yet only 0.4 per cent of the national health budget is allocated to nutrition-specific interventions. Many programs are heavily reliant on foreign aid, which is not only unsustainable but risky. The recent withdrawal of USAID support left a $156 million funding gap, threatening the availability of life-saving nutrition and health services.

The economic cost of this crisis is staggering. Ghana loses an estimated GH₵4.6 billion annually due to the long-term effects of malnutrition on productivity, education, and healthcare. Children who are stunted are more likely to struggle in school, earn less as adults, and suffer from chronic illnesses, all of which lock families into cycles of poverty.

But Ghana can reverse this trajectory. The experience of countries like Rwanda and Peru shows that with strong political commitment, dedicated budget lines, and multisectoral coordination, nutrition outcomes can improve dramatically.

That’s where the Nourish Ghana Project comes in. Led by Women, Media and Change (WOMEC) Organisation, the project aims to raise awareness and push for policy reform through advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and media mobilisation.