Did you know you can grow toma­toes, peppers, kontomire, and even carrots in plastic bottles, buckets, or old cooking pots right on your balcony or backyard?

Across Ghana, families are re­discovering the joy and power of growing their food, even with limited space and resources. With rising food prices and growing concerns about chemically treated produce, more people are turning to home gardens as a low-cost, healthy, and empower­ing solution to address malnutrition and food insecurity.

Malnutrition remains one of Gha­na’s most urgent challenges, with children facing stunted growth and anaemia, while adults battle increas­ing cases of obesity and diet-related illnesses. But solving this crisis isn’t just about eating more, it’s about eating right, eating safely, and eat­ing smart. And that starts with going back to our roots.

By planting vegetables at home, families can cut food costs, eat fresher meals, and reduce depen­dence on produce grown with harm­ful chemicals. Schools, churches, and even workplaces are joining the movement by creating small gar­dens to promote good nutrition and self-reliance.

The revival of traditional Ghana­ian foods

At the heart of this movement is a revival of traditional Ghanaian foods. Once staples in every kitchen, crops like millet, legumes, baobab, and cocoyam are naturally packed with nutrients our bodies need. These local superfoods are making a comeback, not just for their health benefits, but also for their cultural pride and affordability. They grow well in our soil, suit our climate, and nourish our families.

Ensuring food safety and sustain­ability

Good nutrition also means know­ing how our food is grown. With increased use of pesticides and environmental threats like illegal mining contaminating farmlands and water sources, the need for safe, sustainable farming is urgent. Home gardening allows us to control how we grow, what we grow, and how we feed our families.

Education and awareness are key. Through school programs, community cooking demos, and social media, more people are learning that nutritious eating doesn’t require import­ed products or expensive sup­plements. It starts with what’s already around us, our land, our seeds, our knowledge.

The fight against malnutri­tion in Ghana doesn’t have to be complicated. It starts with a simple act: planting some­thing. Whether it’s in a sack, a bottle, or a backyard plot, growing your food is a powerful step toward better health, lower food costs, and stronger communities.

Ready to start your own garden? Here’s how

Starting your home garden might seem daunting, but it’s easier than you think. Here are three simple steps to get you going:

Choose your spot: Look for an area that gets at least 6 hours of sun­light daily. This could be a balcony, a small patch in your backyard, or even a sunny windowsill.

Pick your container: You don’t need fancy pots, you can use old buckets, used plastic bottles (cut in half with drainage holes), or even firm sacks can be perfect. Just ensure they have holes at the bottom for water to drain.

Select easy to grow crops: For beginners, start with resilient and fast-growing vegetables. Good choic­es in include kontomire (cocoyam leaves), spring onions, garden eggs, and various types of peppers. These thrive with minimal attention.

For more in-depth guidance and local tips, consider connecting with your local agricultural extension officers in your community.

Feature Article by Women, Media and Change on its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition Project.

‘Pipinaso’ is a special delicacy prepared during the Ohum festival of the people of Akwapim (Larteh) in the Eastern Region.

It is mostly served with light soup and dried fish. The traditional meal is served with okro soup.

‘Pipinaso’, is also used to perform ritu­als at funeral grounds and also served as food to infertile to boost their chances of making babies.

Ingredients

-2 cups of roasted corn flour

-Water

Preparation

-Put water on the fire to boil

-Add roasted corn flour to water and stir gently

– Continue stirring until it mix uniformly

-Add some of the hot water to soften it if it’s hard

– Allow it to boil for sometime and serve with light soup.

 By Linda Abrefi Wadie