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Introduction
A variety of foods pertain to diverse groups of people, with one particular food type known to a specific group of people. While obe , ewedu , amala and ila are for Nigerians, fufu, aprapransa, akyeke and apiti are known to Ghanaians. Trichopoulou et al. (2007) and Hersleth and Mat (2010) defined traditional foods as any food frequently consumed or associated with specific celebration and/or seasons, transmitted from one generation to another and made in a specific way according to gastronomic heritage. In addition, they are foods with their recipe, ingredients and mode of preparation or processing known to a particular group of people for a very long time (Cayot, 2007). In Ghana, traditional foods are associated with different types of ethnic groups within the country. For instance, fufu and soup, aprapransa and ampesi with kontomire sauce is associated with the Akans; akyeke with the Nzemas, banku and okro soup or sauce and dakoa with the Ewes; and sorghum beer, pito , tuozaafi and fula with the people of the northern part of Ghana.
The sources of ingredients used in the preparation of these foods come from certain categories of foods such as staple foods (roots and tubers, cereal grains and legumes), fruits and vegetables including leafy vegetables, fats and oils and animal products such as milk, meat and eggs (Oniang'o et al. , 2003). All of which have been reported to be nutritious (Pelig-Ba, 2009; Wodon et al. , 2008; Kudadjie et al. , 2004; Albert et al. , 2005). In addition to providing the body with some vitamins, fruits and vegetables provide the body with polyphenolics anthocyanins and carotenoids with diverse antioxidant properties (Worthington, 2004; Oniang'o et al. , 2003; Bovell-Benjamin, 2007). Fats and oils also serve as transport medium for fat soluble vitamins (Raschke et al. , 2007).
Most traditional foods are referred as nutritious due to the appreciable nutrient composition of the various ingredients mostly used in their preparation. Traditional foods have been shown to be health beneficial (Raschke et al. , 2007). They form staples in most African countries and due to the nutrition and health benefits they offer, they could be used to solve food and nutrition insecurity in most parts of Africa (Ohiokpehai, 2003).
However, the patronage...