Nutrition

Bitter leaf soup (Ofe Onugbu)

Bitter leaf soup is a savoury Nigerian soup, commonly eaten with fufu. It has a slightly bitter taste. This soup is made with a leafy green, native to parts of Africa, known as bitter leaf. This nutritious African soup is commonly eaten with fufu, eba or pounded yam, but you can eat it also with rice.

Ingredients

500 grammes of meat precooked
800 grammes of cow/beef foot precooked
500 grammes of stock fish precooked
1-2 of dry fish

Other ingredients

250 grammes of bitter leaves (vegetable)
3 Uziza leaves
1-½ tablespoonfuls of mkpuru ofo powder
2 tablespoonfuls of cameroon pepper
2 table spoonfuls of ogiri
200 grammes of palmnut paste
¼ cup of coarsely ground crayfish

Preparation (bitter leaf)

-Wash the bitter leaf thoroughly with lot of water to remove sand and other particles.

-Boil in large pot for 30 minutes. (leave the pot open while cooking otherwise it would bubble over).

-Turn off heat, pour the bitter leaf into a sieve and run it over with cold water. -rinse a few times.

-Transfer back to pot and add half a tablespoonful of potash or baking soda. Bring to boil again and allow to boil for another 30mins.

-Store or use immediately.

Preparation ( bitter leaf soup)

Put about eight cups of water in a pot. Add salt and bring to slow boil.
Add the ground crayfish and ground cameroon pepper.
Add the precooked meats, Turn down the heat to low. ( Don’t cook meats for too long remember they are already precooked)
Add in the palmnut paste or palm oil and stir.
Mix Ogiri with a little water and add to the pot. Then take a cooking spoon of hot liquid from the pot to dissolve the mkpuru ofo powder.
Pour the dissolved mixture into the soup and stir. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
As the soup thickens, add onugbu leaves followed by the uziza leaves.
Stir properly and allow soup to simmer for about a minute.
Turn off heat. Do not cover pot immediately

Source: chefspencil.com

Health benefits of bitter leaf

Aids in Weight Loss

The components in bitter leaf juice make it great therapy for burning off that extra fat you have been looking at getting rid of.

Reduces Cancer Risks

Bitter leaf contains numerous anti-cancer properties like andrographolide compound which has been scientifically found to be effective in treating prostate cancers, gastric cancers, and colon.

Lowers high blood pressure

The same bitterness in bitter leaf that makes it unappetising is also one of its strongest best benefits. The bitterness of bitter leaf juice helps to lower your sugar level and controls blood pressure.

Aids in treatment of abdominal issues

Bitter leaf comes in handy in the treatment of abdominal issues like stomach upset, diarrhea, dysentery and other gastrointestinal tract diseases. Drinking a cup of bitter leaf juice twice daily helps bring relief from stomach problems.

Enhances fertility

Bitter leaf is very impressive when it comes to its benefit to the reproductive system of women. Drinking bitter leaf juice can help a woman get pregnant as the chemical compounds present in bitter leaf extracts like edotides promotes hormonal balance and boosts your immune system to help fight against toxification.

Source: guardian.ng/life

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.