Nutrition
Cow feet stew recipe
Stew made with cowfeet
INGREDIENTS
• 2 kilogrammes of cow feet
• 2 large onions
• 1 large garlic
• 1 large ginger
• Pepper
• 1 small sachet of tomato paste
• Any other seasoning of your choice.
• One bottle of cooking oil
Preparation
-Wash the cow feet and place them in a saucepan, add enough water to it.
-Add salt and cook on medium heat for an hour.
-Reduce fire when it begins to become a bit soft and add the blended garlic, ginger and curry powder. Let it cook for some time.
-Using a sifter, drain the liquid from the stock. Add the drained ginger and garlic after a while and in another saucepan heat oil and sauté your onions until they become translucent.
-Add blended pepper, garlic and ginger, and let it cook very well.
-After a while add your tomato paste and cook for some minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure that it does not get burnt.
-Allow to cook for some time, add in your meat and then the stock to cook the meat very well.
-Add salt after draining the liquid, delicious cow feet stew is ready to be served with your favourite meals.
Ingredients
-One full cabbage
– Five large tomatoes
-Two large onion
-Five large pepper
-Garlic
-3 large fresh salmon
-1 tin of mackerel
-Salt to taste
-Coconut oil
Seasoning
Preparation
- Wash and chop cabbage under running water and put in a large pot with water
- Wash it for the second time and pour vinegar on it to remove unwanted particles.
- Blend onion, garlic, ginger, pepper and tomatoes
- Heat coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat
- Add blended mixture and stir. (Allow it to cook for 10 minutes)
- Wash fresh salmon and add to stew
- Add mackerel, seasoning and salt to taste
- Add cabbage, stir and cover to cook for five to seven- minutes
- Allow to simmer when it is soft and serve with rice
- By Linda Abrefi Wadie
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Malnutrition remains one of the most significant barriers to Ghana’s long-term development. While its effects are most visible in childhood illness and mortality, its consequences extend far beyond the health sector, affecting education outcomes, labor productivity, and economic growth.
Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), in particular, demands urgent policy attention due to its direct link to preventable child deaths. At the center of the solution lies Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and the need for its inclusion in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
NHIS has played a critical role in expanding access to healthcare by reducing out-of-pocket expenditures and improving utilization of services. However, the exclusion of RUTF exposes a structural weakness in the system.
When families cannot access treatment for SAM through NHIS, the burden of care shifts back to households already struggling with poverty and food insecurity.
RUTF is not a luxury commodity; it is an essential medicine for malnutrition. Its formulation allows children to be treated at home, reducing hospitalization costs and improving adherence. Evidence from Ghana and other countries shows that community-based management of acute malnutrition is both effective and scalable when adequately financed.
Failure to integrate RUTF into NHIS creates inefficiencies across the health system. Facilities cannot plan effectively, health workers face ethical dilemmas, and monitoring of outcomes becomes fragmented. By contrast, NHIS coverage would allow for standardized protocols, better data collection, and improved quality of care.
Importantly, integrating RUTF into NHIS would reduce Ghana’s dependence on donor funding for a core child survival intervention.
While development partners play a valuable role, reliance on external funding for essential services poses sustainability risks. National ownership through NHIS financing would ensure continuity of care and long-term impact.
The economic case is equally compelling. Studies consistently show that investments in nutrition yield some of the highest returns in development, often exceeding returns from infrastructure projects. Children who receive timely treatment for malnutrition are more likely to complete school, earn higher incomes, and contribute to national growth.
As Ghana advances its Universal Health Coverage agenda, it is imperative that nutrition interventions are fully integrated into health financing decisions.
Leaving RUTF outside NHIS sends the message that malnutrition is a peripheral issue rather than a core determinant of health and development.
Policymakers have the opportunity to correct this imbalance. Integrating RUTF into NHIS would strengthen the health system, protect vulnerable children, and safeguard Ghana’s future workforce. It is a policy decision grounded in evidence, equity, and national interest.
Key Policy Recommendations: The Ministry of Health and NHIA should immediately commission a costing study to integrate RUTF into the NHIS benefits package by 2027. Parliament’s Health Committee should prioritize oversight of this integration, with quarterly progress reports.
The National Health Insurance Authority must allocate 2-3% of its annual budget to nutrition interventions, including RUTF coverage for all diagnosed SAM cases. District health directorates should establish standardized RUTF distribution protocols, with digital tracking systems to monitor utilization and outcomes.
Finally, the Ghana Health Service should launch a nationwide training programme for health workers on community-based management of acute malnutrition, ensuring quality service delivery from hospital to household level.
Feature article by Women, Media and Change under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition project
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
