Nutrition
Potato curry
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoonfuls of vegetable oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 teaspoonfuls of curry powder
- 1 ½ teaspoonfuls of paprika
- 1 teaspoonful of cayenne
- 2 teaspoonfuls of cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon of allspice
- 2 teaspoonfuls of fresh ginger, minced
- ½ teaspoon of black pepper
- 2 pounds potato peeled and cubed
- 15 oz chickpeas
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoonful of lemon juice
- 14 oz diced tomatoes
- 14 oz coconut milk (415 mL), 1 can
- Rice, cooked, for serving
- Naan bread, for serving
- Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Preparation
-Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat until simmering.
-Add the onion and saute for about three minutes, until translucent.
-Add the garlic and saute for about two minutes, until fragrant.
-Add the curry powder, paprika, cayenne, cumin, allspice, ginger, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes until the spices are fragrant.
-Add the potatoes and mix well until well-coated in spices.
-Add the chickpeas and stir to incorporate.
-Add the broth, lemon juice, and tomatoes and stir, then pour in the coconut milk and stir to combine.
-Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Once bubbling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork.
-Serve with cooked rice and naan and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Source:tasty.co/recipe
Health benefits of potatoes
Potato
Potatoes are a versatile root vegetable and a staple food in many households.
They are an underground tuber that grows on the roots of the plant.
Potatoes are relatively cheap, easy to grow and packed with a variety of nutrients.
-Improve Blood Sugar Control
-May improve Digestive Health
-Naturally Gluten-Free
-Potatoes contain antioxidants
-Potatoes can be satiating
-Potatoes contain Glycoalkaloids
-Regulates blood pressure
Helps calm you down
Improve brain health
Source: food.ndtv.com
Malnutrition persists in Ghana not because solutions are unknown, but because leadership has not consistently elevated nutrition as a national priority. Despite the availability of evidence-based interventions, malnutrition remains under-addressed in policy implementation and financing decisions. This gap reflects a broader leadership challenge that must be urgently addressed.
Nutrition outcomes are shaped by decisions across multiple sectors: health, agriculture, education, sanitation, and social protection. Without strong political leadership to coordinate these sectors, efforts remain fragmented and impact is limited. Policies exist, but implementation is often weak due to competing priorities and insufficient accountability.
High-level leadership is essential to place nutrition at the centre of development planning. This includes ensuring adequate budget allocations, setting measurable targets, and monitoring progress at the highest levels of government. Parliament has a critical role to play in holding institutions accountable for nutrition outcomes, just as it does for economic performance.
International experience is instructive. Countries that have significantly reduced malnutrition have done so through sustained political commitment, often led by heads of government or senior ministers. Nutrition was treated as a development accelerator rather than a welfare issue.
In Ghana, leadership for nutrition must be strengthened at both national and sub-national levels. District assemblies, in particular, are pivotal in translating policy into action, yet they often lack the authority or resources to prioritize nutrition effectively.
Malnutrition undermines human capital development and constrains economic growth. Leaders must recognise that failing to address it carries long-term costs for the nation. Political leadership that champions nutrition will not only save lives but also strengthen Ghana’s development trajectory.
Ending malnutrition is achievable, but only if leaders take ownership of the challenge. Nutrition must be seen not as a sectoral concern but as a national development priority that demands decisive and sustained leadership.
Key Policy Recommendations: The Office of the President should establish a High-Level Nutrition Coordination Council, chaired by the Vice President, bringing together Ministers from Health, Agriculture, Education, Gender, and Local Government to meet quarterly and drive cross-sectoral action. The Ministry of Finance must mandate that at least 5 per cent of each sector ministry’s budget includes nutrition-sensitive interventions with measurable targets. Parliament should create a bi-partisan Nutrition Caucus to champion nutrition legislation and hold the Executive accountable through annual review sessions. District Chief Executives (DCEs) should be given performance contracts that include nutrition outcome indicators, with nutrition coordinators appointed at all 261 district assemblies. The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) must integrate nutrition targets into the next Medium-Term Development Plan with clear accountability frameworks linking national commitments to district-level delivery.
Feature article by Women, Media and Change under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition project
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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
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