Food Plants For Healthy Diets Uganda

Food plants for healthy diets in
Uganda
Food Plant Solutions purpose is to enable people to understand the

nutritional value of local food plants through our educational materials
and support services, because every minute of every day, five
children under the age of five die from malnutrition.
In addition to this booklet, other publications have been created for
Uganda, which can be downloaded from our website:
www.foodplantsolutions.org
For further details about the project please contact us at:
info@foodplantsolutions.org
Food Plant Solutions - A project of the Rotary Club of Devonport North, Rotary District 9830 &
Food Plants International.
Food Plant Solutions operates in accordance with Rotary International Policy but is not an agency of, or controlled by Rotary International
Using food plant
resources well
The health, well-being and food security of a

nation requires making the best use of all
available food plant resources.
1
Food plants for
healthy diets in
Uganda
Chinese taro
With a rich, diverse tropical climate

and a variety of soils, altitudes, and
rainfall patterns it is time to discover
and explore the amazing range of Pineapple
frequently over-looked tropical food

plants that suit the locations, and are
rich in nutrients.
Amaranthus
2
Health food
Healthy diets
To stay healthy all people, and especially
children, should eat a wide range of food
plants. This should include some plants
from each of the food groups:
Energy foods - e.g. Sweet potato
Growth foods - e.g. Peanuts
Health foods - e.g. Indian spinach
Then each of the nutrients required by our
Indian Spinach
bodies will be met in a balanced manner.
Peanuts
Sweet potato
Growth food Energy food

3
Food security
Grow a range of different food plants,
planted at different times throughout Moringa Edible hibiscus
the year, so food doesn’t become
short in some seasons. This should
include fruit and nut trees.
Sweet potato
Taro
Lima bean Amaranth
Cassava
4
Iron for healthy blood
Iron is important in our blood. It is what
makes our blood red.
Iron helps oxygen get to our lungs. This helps
us to have energy to work.
Pigeon pea
When we are short of iron we are called
anaemic. Iron is more available when Vitamin
C is also present.
Soaking dried peas overnight
before cooking them makes the
iron more available.
Sesame 5
Vitamin A for good
eyesight
Vitamin A is very important for eyesight and
fighting disease, particularly in infants, young
children and pregnant women. Sweet potato
People who are short of

Vitamin A have trouble
seeing at night.
In plants, this chemical
occurs in a form that has
to be converted into
Vitamin A in our bodies.
Jute
6
Protein foods
Food plants can be important sources of
protein, particularly if fish and meat are not
readily available.
Sweet acacia
Winged bean
7
Vitamin C for good Guava
health
Vitamin C is important for
helping us to avoid
sickness.
Ethiopian kale 8
Zinc for growing Sesame
bodies
Zinc is particularly important for young

children and teenagers to help recover
from illness and be healthy.
Safflower
9
Leafy green foods
are important
Dark green leaves are an important
source of iron, protein and other vitamins
and minerals essential for healthy diets.
Amaranth
Dark green leaves contain folate which all

women of child-bearing age need.
Low levels of folate at conception can

lead to serious birth defects.
Everybody, especially women and

children, should eat a hand full of leafy
Edible hibiscus
10
Root crops are
Taro
perfect plants for

hot humid tropical
climates Potato yam
Starchy staple foods are the lifeblood of

Uganda.
We need to look out for pests, disease

and signs that the plants are growing in
poor soil.
Sweet potato Cassava

Chinese taro 11
Beans provide Peanut
protein and restore

soils
Beans have special bacteria
attached to their roots that allow
them to take nitrogen from the air
and put it into the soil for plants
to use.
It is free fertiliser!
Winged bean
Bambara groundnut Lima bean

12
Everyone should
Buffalo thorn
eat some fruit

everyday
Fruit provide minerals and vitamins and Pineapple
other important nutrients that everybody
needs to stay healthy and well.
Good farmers plant several kinds of fruit

trees.
13
Fei banana
Fruit and nut trees
Chemedak
for around houses

Fruit to be enjoyed by all.
Some need to be planted for the future.
Many fruit are seasonal. Some grow

quickly.
Sebastan
Awusa nut 14
Governors Plum
Vegetables for
variety and nutrition Amaranth Eggplant
As some vegetables only grow in certain

seasons, families should plant a wide
range to provide food all year.
Angled luffa
Some vegetables and edible leaves
should be planted near houses so they
are easily available even on wet days, or
when people are too tired or busy to go to
distant gardens.
Maize Okra
15
Guava
Plants for garden
edges
Soursop
Moringa
Ensete
16
Cassava
Plants for the edge Taro
of gardens
Larger plants can be grown around the
edges of gardens.
Pigeon pea
Edible hibiscus
17
Spring Onion
Plants for garden
beds
Okra
Peanut
Sweet potato Amaranth

18
Plants to climb on Lima bean
fences
Potato yam
Many plants can be grown on fences

around houses and gardens.
Angled luffa
Winged bean
19
Pests, disease and The taro blight fungus washes in
on the, rain on hot wet nights.
deficiencies
Plants that are grown well are less damaged
Taro blight
by insect pests and diseases. They may go
dry or pale in poor soil. This fungus makes
It is important to recognise these signs and leaves die off early
when the leaves get
act early. damaged.
Yam anthracnose
This fungus gets bad when soils

are poor, and also on varieties from Cassava growing in very poor soil
The very small moth hides from cannot take up enough plant food.
overseas.
the sun under the flower bracts.
Banana scab moth
Wrinkled sweet potato leaves Cassava short of nutrients

21
Scientific name English Luganda Runyankole
Abelmoschus esculentus Okra Okra Okra

Abelmoschus manihot Edible hibiscus
Acacia farnesiana Sweet acacia
Allium fistulosum Spring onion Bukoola bwa butungulu Obutunguru
Amaranthus hybridus Amaranth greens Doodo Doddo
Anacardium occidentale Cashew Kashunati Kashunati
Ananas comosus Pineapple Naanansi Enanansi
Arachis hypogea Peanut Binyeebwa Ebinyobwa
Artocarpus integer Chemedak Ffene Ekifenensi
Basella alba Indian spinach Doodo
Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla Silver beet Silivabbiiti
Cajanus cajan Pigeon pea Mpinnamiti Entondiigwa
Carthamus tinctorius Safflower
Colocasia esculenta Taro Jjuuni Ekitekyere
22
Corchorus olitorius Jute Okura Okura

Cordia myxa Sebastan tree
Cyphomandra betacea Tamarillo Tugunda Ekitugunda
Dioscorea bulbifera Potato yam Ndaggu Ekiyuni
Ensete ventricosum Ensete Ekitembe Ekizirakoma
Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa Rocket
Erucastrum arabicum Ethiopian kale
Flacourtia indica Governor’s plum
Ipomoea batatas Sweet potato Lumonde Ekitakuri
Luffa acutangula Angled luffa Ekyangwe Ekyangu
Manihot esculenta Cassava Muwogo Muhoogo
Moringa oleifera Drumstick tree
Musa troglodytarum Fei’banana Ndiizi
Pennisetum glaucum Bullrush millet Muwemba
23
Phaseolus lunatus Lima bean Ebigaaga Ebihindihindi
Plukenetia conophora Awusa nut
Psicium guajava Guava Mapeera Amapeera
Psophocarpus tetragonolobus Winged bean
Senna obtusifolia Java bean Yekeyeke
Sesamum indicum Seasame Entungo Simusmu
Solanum macrocarpon African eggplant Ntula Entuura
Saolanum tubersoum Potato Obummonde obuzungu Emondi
Vigna subterranea Bambara groundnut Mpande Empande
Xanthosoma sagittifolium Chinese taro Balugu Obutekyere
Zea mays Maize Kasooli Ekicoori
Ziziphus mucronata Buffalo thorn Enkyereere
24
Acknowledgements
This publication has been developed as part of a project undertaken by Food Plant
Solutions Rotarian Action Group, made possible with funding by Rotary District
9830.
It would have not been possible without the commitment and support of the
various volunteers, who have shared the vision and unselfishly given their time to
support this project.
Review, layout and formatting - Lyndie Kite and John McPhee
For further details about the project please contact us at info@foodplantsolutions.org.

We welcome and encourage your support.
Food Plant Solutions - A project of the Rotary Club of Devonport North, Rotary District 9830 &
Food Plants International.
© 2017 Food Plants International Inc.

Food Plant Solutions operates in accordance with Rotary International Policy but is not an agency of, or controlled by Rotary International
25
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Food plants for healthy diets in

Food Plant Solutions purpose is to enable people to understand the

The health, well-being and food security of a

With a rich, diverse tropical climate

frequently over-looked tropical food

Growth food Energy food

Lima bean Amaranth

People who are short of

Zinc is particularly important for young

Dark green leaves contain folate which all

Low levels of folate at conception can

Everybody, especially women and

perfect plants for

Starchy staple foods are the lifeblood of

We need to look out for pests, disease

Sweet potato Cassava

protein and restore

Bambara groundnut Lima bean

eat some fruit

Good farmers plant several kinds of fruit

for around houses

Some need to be planted for the future.

Many fruit are seasonal. Some grow

As some vegetables only grow in certain

Sweet potato Amaranth

Many plants can be grown on fences

This fungus gets bad when soils

Banana scab moth

Wrinkled sweet potato leaves Cassava short of nutrients

Abelmoschus esculentus Okra Okra Okra

Corchorus olitorius Jute Okura Okura

For further details about the project please contact us at info@foodplantsolutions.org.

© 2017 Food Plants International Inc.

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