Nutrition
Kelewele
• Kelewele
Kelewele is a Ghanaian dish which consists of deep-fried plantain chunks that are usually combined with salt, ginger, and hot peppers.
It is served as an accomplishment to beans stew or rice dishes, although kelewele is also often sold by numerous
African street vendors as dessert.
Some cooks add in peanuts, cloves, nutmeg, or cinnamon to the mix to give kelewele flavour.
Ingredients
• 4 riped plantains
• 2 large onions
• 1 teaspoonful of cayenne or chili pepper
• 1 tablespoonful of grated ginger
• 1 garlic clove (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoonful of nutmeg (optional)
• Salt to taste
– 1 Maggi cube (optional)
Directions
• Peel the riped plantains (You can cut both ends off the plantain. This will make it easy to remove the skin of the plantains)
• Cut plantains in diagonal pieces or medium chunks. Set it aside.
• Blend onions, ginger, garlic and chili pepper in blender or food processor. Add water to the ingredients (Make sure to obtain a thicker consistent mixture)
• Pour blended mixture in a bowl and add grated nutmeg, salt and cube. Set aside
• In a large bowl, mix the plantain pieces and the blended mixture together.
• Let it rest for about 10 to 20 minutes to absorb the flavour.
• Heat up a large pan with oil for deep frying under medium-high heat until hot.
• -Fry the plantain pieces, until golden brown. (Do not overcrowd the pan, it will cause the plantains to be soggy and absorb excess oil)
• Remove and transfer the fried plantains onto a sieve or tissue paper for drainage of oil.
• -Serve warm with groundnuts or cooked rice.
• It is mostly served with groundnuts or beans stew. While others prefer it as a dessert, it can also be served with plain rice, jollof rice and waakye as an appetizer.
In March 2025, world leaders gathered in Paris for the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit, the most important global gathering on malnutrition of the decade. Over $30 billion in new financial commitments were pledged globally by more than 170 actors from 82 countries. Ghana was there. Ghana made commitments. The question now is: are those commitments enough, and will they be delivered?
Ghana made 10 commitments at the 2025 N4G Summit. One of the most significant is a pledge to spend at least $6 million annually from 2026 for the procurement of essential nutrition commodities including ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS), iron-folic acid tablets, vitamin A supplements, and anthropometric equipment for measuring child growth.
This financial commitment is meaningful. For years, Ghana’s nutrition programmes have depended heavily on donor funding, leaving services vulnerable to aid cuts and supply disruptions. A domestic budget line for nutrition commodities signals a shift toward ownership and sustainability. It also directly supports Ghana’s Nutrition for Growth commitments from the 2021 Tokyo Summit, several of which remain off track.
The Bigger Picture
The 2025 N4G Summit was about more than funding. It called for systemic change: embedding nutrition in food systems, health coverage, climate resilience, and gender equality. Every dollar invested in nutrition is estimated to return $16 to the local economy. Yet malnutrition still costs Ghana an estimated 6.4 per cent of its GDP annually. That is not a public health statistic. It is an economic emergency.
The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has acknowledged that converting summit outcomes into actionable change requires transparent policy dialogue and locally driven solutions.
Commitments made in Paris must be tracked, funded, and implemented in Ghana’s communities. Programmes must move from pilot scale to national coverage. That will not happen without sustained political will, dedicated domestic financing, and public accountability.
Commitments made on global stages matter. But they only become meaningful when they translate into services in communities. The question is not what Ghana promised in Paris. It is what Ghana delivers at home.
Feature article by Women, Media and Change under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition project
Cabbage is very rich in fibre, the main supplier of roughage. This helps the body retain water and it maintains the bulkiness of the food as it moves through the bowels.
Thus, it is a good remedy for constipation and other digestion-related problems.
Ingredients
-1 large cabbage
– 4 large fresh tomatoes
– 1 large onion
– Pepper
-Garlic
-2 large salmon
-1 tin of mackerel
-2 large green pepper
-Salt to taste
Preparation
-Chop cabbage roughly and wash in a large pot of water
-Pour vinegar on it and wait until you make other preparations. Then drain.
-Heat coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat
-Cook and stir onion in hot oil until onion turns dark brown.
-Blend tomatoes, green pepper, garlic and onion and add to the oil
-Add tomato paste, mackerel and salmon to stew
-Add cabbage, stir and cover to cook for 7 – 10 minutes
-Allow to simmer when it is soft and serve with rice, yam etc.
