Nutritionist and final-year MPhil Food Science student at the University of Ghana, Alberta Adokwa Aban, has challenged university students to rethink their reliance on starch-heavy meals and incorporate more affordable, locally available vegetables into their diets.
Speaking to Univers News to mark National Eat Your Vegetables Day, Aban explained that while heavy, starch-based meals may provide immediate satiety, they may not supply the protective nutrients needed for long-term health.
“Many people focus only on feeling full and assume a heavy carbohydrate meal alone is sufficient nutrition. But in reality, vegetables are protective foods providing essential vitamins like A and C, minerals like potassium and magnesium, and crucial fibre,” Aban said.
The nutritionist further warned that regularly omitting fresh vegetables could contribute to a condition known as “hidden hunger” — a state where the body receives enough food to feel full but remains deficient in essential nutrients.
“This is when the body is full because we’ve eaten to satisfaction, but it is still deficient in essential nutrients,” She explained.
“Over time, this increases the risk of a weak immune system, poor gut health, and chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes.”
The concern comes amid the rising cost of living, which has made it increasingly difficult for some university students to regularly include fresh vegetables in their meals.
A student who spoke to Univers News said the rising cost of food has made vegetables less accessible to some students.
“With food prices what they are, vegetables are definitely seen as a luxury on campus, rather than students just preferring fast food over healthy options. When you look at how frequently you can even afford to eat vegetables, it’s tough,” the student said.
To help students maintain healthier diets despite financial constraints, Aban encouraged them to buy vegetables from wholesale markets, purchase seasonal produce and share costs with friends or roommates.
“Take your slippers, tie a head wrap, head to Makola or Madina. Go in groups, get a friend, and buy seasonal vegetables that are nutritionally dense. Buy them in small quantities because of the short shelf life, or buy in bulk and share with your roommates. Combine them with everyday foods like rice, gari, and beans,” she advised.
Addressing the belief that traditional Ghanaian meals such as light soup, kontomire and okro stew automatically provide sufficient nutritional benefits, Aban cautioned that cooking methods can affect the nutrient content of some vegetables.
“The long cooking reduces some of the heat-sensitive nutrients like Vitamin C and B, which are water-soluble vitamins in our foods,” she explained.
She added that incorporating raw vegetables into meals could help retain some nutrients that may be lost during prolonged cooking.
“So this is where eating raw vegetables adds value, as some vitamins are lost due to prolonged cooking,” she added.
Aban emphasised that improving one’s diet does not require an immediate or complete overhaul of eating habits, but rather small and consistent changes over time.
“The ideal to all of this is not perfection. It’s a gradual process. It’s consistency. But then you start small and then you grow big,” she concluded.
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Story by Wilhemina Dushie | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Erica Odeenyin Odoom
