Nutrition
Tubani
Tubani
Tubani is a meal mostly eaten by Northerners in Ghana. It is also referred to as steamed black-eyed peas pudding. It is usually taken with palm oil, groundnut and chilli pepper and enjoyed as a snack or lunch.
Ingredients
• Black eyed pea flour(white
beans flour) /cow pea flour
• Water
Preparation
1. Add water to the black eyed pea flour in a bowl and stir the mixture in a circular motion till mixture becomes fluffy.
2. Pour some water into a saucepan and put on fi re to boil.
3. Wash your banana leaves or corn husk and put some at the base of the saucepan on fire.
4. Put some of the fluffy mixture of black eyed pea flour and water into some of the leaves and wrap.
5. Put the wrapped food gently into the water on fire and leave to cook for some time.
6. Cover the saucepan with some of the leaves.
7. Cover with the saucepan’s lid and let it cook for about 20 minutes.
8. Remove it from the leaves in which it is wrapped and serve.
Source: zongorepublic.com
Benefits
The beans used in preparing tubaani (tubani/tumbaani) offers important nutrients needed for the body.
-Soluble fiber
Soluble fiber lowers blood cholesterol levels, thereby protecting one against heart diseases.
-Iron
The main ingredients in tubaani are beans. Beans contain iron which is essential in helping hemoglobin to carry oxygen in our blood energy.
-Folate
Folate, also known as vitamin B9 is found in beans. Folate is one of the B-vitamins and is needed to make red and white bloodcells in the bone marrow, convert carbohydrates into energy.
-Proteins
Tubaani is rich in proteins. Proteins are large molecules that our cells need to function optimally; they consists of amino acids. Proteins help in the regulation of the body’s cells, tissues and organs.
Source: https://myrecipejoint.com
When we talk about nutrition in Ghana, the conversation often focuses on individual choices: eat more vegetables, reduce sugar and salt, drink more water and exercise regularly.
These messages are important, but they tell only part of the story. Good nutrition is not just a personal responsibility; it is also a food-system issue.
What Ghanaians eat is influenced by what farmers produce, what food costs, how it is processed and marketed, what is served in schools, and what information consumers receive.
Ghana has the agricultural capacity to produce a wide variety of nutritious foods, including vegetables, fruits, legumes, fish, eggs, roots and tubers. Yet production alone is not enough. Poor storage, transportation challenges and weak market access mean that an estimated 30 per cent of food in Ghana can spoil before reaching consumers or retailers, according to a 2025 study by the International Growth Centre. The losses are particularly significant for fruits and vegetables, reducing both farmers’ incomes and the availability of nutritious foods. This is where policy becomes important.
Agricultural policies should consider not only how much food Ghana produces, but also whether that food contributes to healthy diets. Greater support for diverse crops, local vegetables, fruits and legumes could strengthen both agriculture and nutrition.
The food-processing industry has a role as well. Processing can reduce food waste, improve convenience and create new markets for local produce. But greater attention should be paid to the nutritional quality of processed foods, particularly those high in salt, added sugar and unhealthy fats.
Public education must also become more practical. Telling people to “eat healthy” is not enough when nutritious foods may be unaffordable or unavailable. Consumers need information, but they also need a food environment that makes healthier choices realistic.
Good nutrition begins on the farm, continues through the market and food industry, reaches the school and household, and ultimately ends on the plate.
What is needed is greater coordination.
A successful nutrition strategy should connect agricultural production with health objectives, school feeding with local agriculture, food processing with nutritional quality, and public education with the realities of household income and food prices.
The ultimate goal is not simply to produce more food.
It is to ensure that Ghanaians have reliable access to safe, affordable and nutritious food throughout their lives.
Feature Article by Women, Media and Change
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Igredients
– 2 cups of white rice
-1 large onion
– Vegetable oil
– 1 teaspoonful of grinded turmeric
-Salt to taste
– 2 carrots
-1 green pepper
-Spring onion
Method
-Pour the oil in saucepan and put it on fire
-Wash and cut onions. Add it to the oil and allow it to turn golden brown
-Add rice, stir for sometime to make it crispy
-Add water, turmeric, salt and allow rice to cook for sometime
-Cover the saucepan, reduce heat to low, and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is cooked, about 10 minutes
-Wash cut carrot, green pepper and spring onions and add to the rice on fire
-Serve with stew or shito
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