Health Food in Ghana

Hi
There are more and more shops opening selling healthy alternatives but they are quite expensive - generally 2or 3 times the cost in UK. Most of the supermarkets stock gluten free and other foods but the range is not as extensive as the specialist shops. I would suggest you bring the things you normally eat with you and then look around to source the things here or find an alternative

I would be interested in reviving this thread if possible.

For one thing, there seems to be an unwritten assumption that all expats live in Accra: I built a house in Eguase, so I tend to do my shopping in Cape Coast. If I can't get something I need in Cape, I usually head for Takoradi, as it is easier to get (in)to than Accra.

My prescribed diet has recently become quite strange (I got prostate cancer) and like purple_reign, I would be interested in - named - suggestions as to where I could go to buy healthy food products.

I guess one place to head for would be West Hills Mall (yes, I know, Accra again!). What is the latest on Melcom and Sonturk (also in other centres), are they stocking healthy food now?

I need items such as quinoa, bulgur, soya milk and products, goat's and sheep's milk products.  Ghanaian bread is a nightmare: has anyone seen other flours on sale, e.g. buckwheat, millet, spelt, rye ... so I can at least bake my own bread?

There must be a source of chickpeas in Ghana, and tea that is neither black, nor green, nor fruit-based.

Okay, a big shout-out to all vegans and vegetarians out there, and anyone trying to rebuild their immune system.

Rod Darby

thats really awesome !!

I could actually be of help but cape coast seem far from me.

Hi Rob,
Sorry about the health problems and hope you can source healthy ingredients locally. A tea you should be able to get is moringa as it is native to Ghana and you should be able to find millet in the local market and maybe grind it yourself. Not sure about chickpeas but bambara beans are the same family and I like the taste. There are a lot of natural healthy foods in Ghana which are now becoming seen more in health food shops. Maybe a trip to the local market might unearth a lot of alternative foods.

Hi hkann (it's "Rod" by the way, short for Roderick), thanks for your reply!
I don't think I've ever seen a health food shop in Ghana, but maybe they are all in Accra. I'll keep looking ...
Thanks for the tips, I didn't know anything about moringa tea ... or bambara beans for that matter, I'll check them out.
I'm surprised goat's and sheep's milk aren't used for cheese or yogurt, perhaps the climate is unfavourable

Sorry about the mistake

If I remember right, everything grown in ghana is organic because of the fertile soil. This could be a hassle but its a great opportunity to grow your own food, raise goats for milk, etc.....

yes, I guess it's possible to say that, in that fertiliser appears to be seldom used in Ghana, although I'm not quite so sure about spraying.
There is a rather more cavalier attitude to spraying with "medicine" in Ghana, as I recall from the treatment of the wood for the roof truss of the house we built in Eguase. I have a photo of a worker spraying the wood with Dursban (and without any form of breathing protection). Dursban is prohibited in many countries, including the USA.
I guess in some sense the food we buy at the market or by the road-side is "organic" with a small 'o', however, certified Organic is a completely different story, as my friend Kweku and I discovered when we were given the opportunity to supply certified Organic dried lemon peel to Germany.
However, my problem is not 'organic', or 'gluten-free', my problem is that I have very specific dietary requirements - see my first post in this thread - so I am looking for names of shops and/or places, rather than generalisations.
I'll speak to my neighbours about growing spelt, baking bread, raising goats: I have no experience of any of that. Maybe I should buy a farm.