Nutrition
Health benefits of almonds
• Spinach
Almonds pack a dense nutritional punch to benefit you and your body. If you’re looking to strengthen your heart, your bones, or even your libido, almonds can help do that trick.
Here are some major health benefits of almonds.
Lower Cholesterol: Eating almonds helps to lower levels of bad kind of cholesterol, called low-density lipoprotein (LDL), increase levels of the good kind, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Almonds also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties to help protect you from heart disease.
Keep a Healthy Weight: Although they contain a high number of calories, almonds can actually help to reduce your risk of weight gain and obesity- as long as you pay attention to portion size. The protein and fibre in the nuts make you feel full faster, so you can better control your calorie intake while still satisfying your hunger.
Lower Blood Pressure: Almonds can help your systolic blood pressure, which offers even more protection against heart disease.
Essential Vitamins, Minerals, and Fibre: almonds are rich in valuable nutrients for your body, like magnesium, vitamin E, and dietary fibre. A single serving of almonds makes for a nutritious and filling snack.
Stronger Bones: Almonds have calcium and phosphorous, which improve bone health and can protect you from fractures.
Better Blood Sugar Control: Almonds seem to help curb blood sugar spikes after meals, which is key for people with diabetes.
Better Gut Health: Recent researches appear to suggest that almonds can protect the health and immunity of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. A healthier gut means a better immune system and a stronger body.
Nutrition although technically seeds, almonds are considered nuts. Like many nuts, almonds provide plenty of nutrients. An ounce of whole almonds contains; calories 152, protein six grammes, fat 13 grammes, carbohydrates sixgrammes, dietary threegrammes and sugar one gramme..
SOURCE: www.webmd.com
Despite RUTF’s proven ability to save lives, access to it in Ghana remains inconsistent. Many caregivers face long travel distances to treatment centres, only to be told that supplies have run out. Others rely on community health workers who do their best but struggle with stock shortages. The core challenge is simple: RUTF in Ghana depends heavily on donors, and when global priorities shift or funding gaps emerge, children suffer.
RUTF’s which stands for Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food is a high-energy, micronutrient-rich food paste designed to treat severe acute malnutrition in children. This raises an important question: why is a life-saving product, essential to child survival, not covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)?
Including RUTF in NHIS would mark a monumental shift in how Ghana approaches child health. Firstly, it would ensure that access to RUTF becomes a national obligation, not an act of charity. Severe acute malnutrition is a medical condition, just like malaria, pneumonia, or diabetes, and must be treated as such. With RUTF included in the NHIS medicines list, families would be guaranteed treatment without depending on unpredictable donor supplies.
Secondly, integrating RUTF into NHIS is cost-effective. Untreated malnutrition leads to complications such as severe infections, developmental delays, and prolonged hospital admissions, all of which are far more expensive for the health system than early intervention. Investing in RUTF through NHIS would reduce long-term healthcare costs while strengthening Ghana’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 2 and SDG 3.
Thirdly, including RUTF in the scheme would help eliminate inequities. Currently, access varies by region. Children in remote or hard-to-reach communities often suffer the most. When RUTF is made universally available, every child is guaranteed treatment when they need it.
Additionally, NHIS coverage of RUTF would help streamline procurement systems, improve supply chain consistency and strengthen accountability mechanisms, a gap that currently undermines national nutrition efforts.
At its core, this is an issue of fairness, governance, and national responsibility. If Ghana truly prioritises child survival, then RUTF must be placed where it belongs, that is, within the NHIS as an essential, guaranteed treatment.
Feature article by Women, Media and Change under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition project
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Ingredients
• 4 tablespoonful of milk powder
• 2 cups of fresh milk
• 1 cup of condensed milk (sweetened)
• 2 tablespoonful of vanilla custard powder
• 1 teaspoonful of vanilla essence
Optional: Sugar (only if you want extra sweetness, since condensed milk is already sweet)
Preparation
- Mix the custard base in a small bowl
- Dissolve the custard powder in ½ cup of cold milk to make a smooth paste
- Cook the custard and heat the remaining milk in a saucepan
- Stir in the Cowbell milk powder until fully dissolved
- Add the custard paste and cook on low heat, stirring continuously until it thickens slightly
- Remove from heat and stir in the condensed milk
- Add vanilla essence for flavour
- Taste and adjust sweetness if needed
- Let the custard mixture cool to room temperature
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 3–4 hours (overnight is best)
- Scoop into bowls or cones and enjoy your homemade custard ice cream
