Nutrition
Health benefits of Peanut
• Peanut
Peanuts are delectably crispy, nutty, and delicious. The kernels are rich in numerous noteworthy nutrients that are beneficial to health and overall wellness.
These tasty nuts can be a healthy addition to diet as they are rich in beneficial minerals, vitamins, and plant compounds.Most people take it at snacks.Peanuts are nutritionally dense and healthy.
– Promote healthy heart
Eating peanuts helps protect the body against coronary heart disease (CHD). A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that peanuts lower bad cholesterol (LDL) levels.
-Aids weight Loss
Peanuts are very high in calories, but they contribute to weight loss instead of weight gain. Peanuts are energy-dense foods. That is why having them as a snack may make you consume fewer calories later in the day. Peanuts elicited stronger feelings of fullness when consumed as a snack than with a meal. This may eventually help with weight loss.
-Prevents gallstones
Consumption of peanuts is linked to a lower risk of gallstones. A study conducted by the Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston) found that consumption of peanuts lowers the risk of gallstones. Men consuming five or more units of nuts (including peanuts) a week are at a lower risk of gallstone disease.
– Aids blood sugar control
Adding peanuts or peanut butter to a meal does not spike blood sugar levels. Having them along with a meal would stabilise blood sugar levels.
-Reduces cancer risk
High intake of peanuts (including other nuts) has been associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. The isoflavones, resveratrol, and phenolic acid found in peanuts have anticancer properties which may help reduce the risk of cancer
-Treat erectile dysfunction
Peanuts are rich in arginine, which is an essential amino acid (Arginine has been studied extensively as a possible treatment for erectile dysfunction.
-Boosts energy
Peanuts are a rich source of protein and fibre that assists in the conversion of carbohydrates into energy. The protein content of peanuts is around 25 per cent of the total calories. The fibre and protein combination in peanuts slows down the digestive process to facilitate a steady release of energy into the body.
-Have antioxidative properties
Peanuts are rich in numerous plant compounds and antioxidants. Most of these compounds are available in the skin of peanuts, which should be eaten raw to get all of its benefits. Some of the plant compounds that are readily available in peanuts include resveratrol, coumaric acid, and phytosterols that help impair the absorption of cholesterol, isoflavones, and phytic acid found in plant seeds.
Source: Health.com
Nutrition
Nourishing Ghana Starts with Us: The role of citizens
The success of Ghana’s fight against malnutrition does not rest solely in the hands of the government or donors. It depends on us, the citizens. Nutrition is not just a technical issue. It is a societal one, and every Ghanaian has a role to play in ensuring that no child goes hungry, no mother is left unsupported, and no community is forgotten.
As citizens, we must shift how we see nutrition: not as a private family concern, but as a collective national responsibility. Here’s how we can act:
1. Demand accountability
Every citizen has the right and responsibility to ask how public funds are being used to support nutrition. Are local clinics stocked with supplements? Are school feeding programmes working in your district? Are maternal health services adequately funded? Ask questions. Engage assembly members. Attend town hall meetings. Make your voice count.
2. Speak up, Speak out
Silence has a cost. When we fail to speak out against malnutrition, we normalise it. Use your platform, whether it is WhatsApp group, a radio show, a church gathering, or social media, to raise awareness. Normalise conversations about child feeding, food quality, and maternal health. Silence keeps systems broken. Voices drive change.
3. Support local solutions
Support or join community nutrition initiatives. Volunteer. Share what you know. Help spread accurate information about breastfeeding, healthy diets, and hygiene. If you are a farmer, teacher, trader, or youth leader, your knowledge and effort can make a difference. Change starts in our homes and neighbourhoods.
4. Protect the first 1,000 days
Whether you are a father, grandmother, neighbor, or employer, support pregnant women and caregivers during this crucial period. Encourage antenatal care. Help with child care. Prioritise nutritious foods. The first 1,000 days of a child’s life lay the foundation for everything that follows.
When citizens care, ask questions, take action, and show solidarity, we create the conditions for lasting change. Malnutrition is not inevitable. It is a symptom of neglect, and neglect ends when citizens choose to act.
Feature article by Women, Media and Change under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition Project
Nutrition
Ga Kenkey
Ga kenkey, a staple in Ghanaian cuisine, is prepared with fermenting corn dough, then cooking a portion of it to create ‘aflata’ or ‘banku’. It is a popular food in the southern part of Ghana.
Ingredients:
-8 cups of dried corn
-Dried corn leaves (for wrapping)
-2 tablespoonful of stew
Preparation
-Soak corn in water overnight
-Grind corn into a powder form
-Mix the ground corn with water (dough)
-Mix part of the dough with water and put it on fire to cook
-Take the pot off the fire and mix in the remaining dough .
– When ready shape mixture into balls and set every prepared ball on a corn leaf.
– Cover each ball by wrapping the corn leaf around it
– Put water on fire. Add wrapped kenkey to boil for 45 minutes.
– When ready take them out carefully and serve them along with shito, ground pepper and fish.
