The proximate nutrients, calorific value, mineral nutrients and lipid characteristics of the seed pastes of four (4) peanut (Arachis hypogaea) varieties namely: Sinkarzie, F-mix, JL 24 and Manipintar were investigated. Crude protein values ranged between 23.62% (±0.34) in Sinkarzie to 28.88% (±0.24) in JL 24. Crude fat ranged between 38.11% (±0.47) in JL 24 to 48.79% (±0.20) in Sinkarzie. Carbohydrate content ranged between 11.54% (±0.18) for Sinkarzie to 19.65% (±0.55) in JL 24. The energy content in kCal/100 g sample ranged between 537.06 in JL 24 to 581.54 in Manipintar. Calcium contents (mg/100 g) ranged between 23.14 (±0.49) in Manipintar to 128.25 (±2.90) in F-mix. At room temperature (25°C), all the oils from the four groundnut varieties were pale yellow coloured liquids with nutty odour. Saponification value (mg KOH/g oil) ranged from 144.70 (±0.63) in JL 24 to 208.97 (±0.58) in Sinkarzie. Iodine value (mg/100 g) ranged from 79.10 (±0.15) in Sinkarzie to 86.93 (±0.26) in F-mix. Percentage free fatty acids (% FFA) ranged from 8.09% (±0.20) in Manipintar to 14.21% (±0.10) in F-mix. The results indicate that while the groundnut seeds could be used in fighting malnutrition, the oils obtained from the seeds could also be used for domestic and industrial purposes.

Flours of soya bean (variety: Anidaso), groundnut (variety: Chinese) and rice (variety: Jasmine 85) were mixed to obtain a weaning diet. The material balance method was used in obtaining the proportions of flours for mixing with 16% protein and 9% fat as the constraints (targets). The proximate nutrients, mineral concentrations and sensory qualities of the formulated diet were compared with cerevita, a commercial diet with vanillin and cinnamon flavour. Though, the formulated diet was superior in terms of protein and energy content, sensory evaluation showed that the formulated diet was less preferred (p < 0.05) than cerevita. Unlike the cerevita, the formulated diet did not have a strong vanillin flavour and this contributed to its lower sensory scores. There was significant improvement (p < 0.05) in the overall acceptability of the formulated diet upon the addition of calculated amounts of cinnamon and vanillin. The high protein content (15.87%) and the high amount of energy (412.82 kCal/100 g) supplied by the formulated diet suggest that it can be used as a low-cost weaning diet in initiatives designed to reduce protein-energy malnutrition.

Even though empirical evidence exists to validate the avowal that dietary habits hold the key in reducing the surge in non-communicable diseases among adolescents and young adults and for optimal nutritional status, little is known about the nexus of these variables in the Ghanaian context and much less in Ghanaian universities. In view of this dearth in literature, this study investigated dietary habits and its effect on nutritional status among undergraduate students of the Winneba Campus of University of Education, Winneba. Using the Social-Ecological Model (SEM) as the theoretical basis, this study adopted the cross-sectional descriptive survey research design with the quantitative approach where proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used to select 3,065 students for the study. The assessment of nutritional status was done where height and weight were measured in Kg/m2and the body mass index (BMI) was calculated based on the recommendations by the World Health Organization. Data on the dietary habits was collected with a closed-ended questionnaire which was analyzed using both descriptive statistics like frequency, percentages, mean, standard deviation as well as inferential statistics such as multiple regression.The study discovered that undergraduate students of the University of Education, Winneba, were of normal weight than overweight and underweight while obesity was ranked the least. The study further revealed that even though students moderately consumed fish, meat, eggs and dairy products legumes and nuts, they had a low intake of fruits and vegetables, but high consumption of energy-dense foods and fast foods such as cakes, pastries, cookies, deep-fried foods, biscuits, sandwiches, indomie and of soft drinks. It was further established that majority of the students skipped meals notably breakfast. Besides, the study showed that all the dietary habits outlined in the study collectively contributed significantly to students’ nutritional status. Therefore, it is recommended that the University through its health directorate and the Department of Food and Nutrition should regularly organize health talks and symposiums to admonish students on the dangers of not observing optimal dietary habits. Additionally, the University through its Academic Board should introduce a general course on nutrition education to equip students with current theories in dietary practices for improved dietary habits.

The aim of this study was to determine the potential of some Ghanaian underutilized legumes in helping to reduce the problems of poverty, hunger and malnutrition among the vulnerable group of the Ghanaian population. The study looked into the functional properties, fat and fatty acid distribution, raffinose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, cyanide and isoflavone contents of raw and processed seed flours of Cajanus cajan, Canavalia ensiformis, Canavalia gladiata, Mucuna pruriens, Parkia biglobosa, Phaseolus lunatus and Vigna subterranea. The parameters mentioned above were also determined for raw fruit flour of Dialium guineense. In addition to these, the study also looked into the crude protein and starch contents of the raw and processed seed flours of Canavalia gladiata, Parkia biglobosa and Vigna subterranea. The obtained results suggest that the legumes may have untapped potential, which may be exploited to help assist in reducing hunger, malnutrition and poverty in Ghana. Results of the functional properties reveal that the legumes may serve useful roles in various food products. For instance, velvet tamarind (Dialium guineense) flour may be useful in infant food formulations because of it high solubility and low bulk density. African Locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) flour had the highest fat content among the studied flours, recording a fat content of approximately 14%. It may therefore be economical to express the oil and use the oil as an edible oil or for industrial applications for products such as soaps, shampoos, paints, etc. This means the properties of the oil of African Locust bean flour need to be studied to know the uses of the oil. Unsaturated fatty acids in the cis configuration formed more than 50% of the fatty acids in all the legumes. This observation coupled with the low sodium content of all the legumes suggest that these legumes may be suitable for consumption to prevent cardiovascular diseases. The daily nutrient needs of individuals can be met by the consumption of the appropriate amounts of these legumes. For example, 375.25 g of processed velvet beans (Mucuna pruriens) flour may be able to meet the adequate intake (AI) of 350 mg/day magnesium for adult males.