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From the Sustainable Nutrition Manual (SNM) flyer series

Food, Water, Agriculture & Environment

Foods in Malawi

Extracted from SNM Part 3 Health Designs Appendix 1 & 2

Supported by

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Table of Contents

About this Pamphlet extracted from SNM Part 3 (Healthy Designs)

Appendix 2: Menu planning

Malawi Food Group Summary

Basic Menu Plan for an Adult

Making food choices

Appendix 1: Guide to Common Foods in Malawi

1. Staples - 44 indigenous of 50 foods

2. Fruits - 121 indigenous of 148 foods

3. Vegetables - 178 indigneous of 219 foods

4. Legumes and Nuts - 17 indigenous of 28 foods

5. Animal Foods - 28 indigenous of 36 foods

6. Fats & Oils - 29 indigenous of 48 foods

About SNM: Food, Water, Agriculture & Environment

Get your own Free copy of SNM

About this Pamphlet extracted from SNM Part 3 (Healthy Designs)

Part 3 (Healthy Designs) of the manual brings parts 1 (Healthy People) and 2 (Healthy Environment) together.

To access the whole manual, which I encourage you to do, see the last pages of this booklet.

This booklet starts wtih appendix 2 since you might not have read the rest of the manual (yet!). It then goes

into the list of foods, with emphasis on finding and multiplying indigenous knowledge.

• Appendix 2: Meal Planning - This section helps you to plan meals for yourself, your family, or large

groups. There is a simple summary of the food groups including: amounts needed for an adult, the main

nutrients in each group and examples of foods for each group. A basic menu plan will give you an idea

of meal planning and a few tips on making food choices.

In the full version of the SNM you will find blank food availability sheets to help you work out what foods

are available from each food group and what knowledge there is about using those foods. Examples are

provided for workshop menus, which can be used with kitchen staff as well as menu item suggestions

and blank menu sheets, by food group, for a week or for a day.

• Appendix 1: Guide to Common Foods in Malawi - More than 600 foods are listed by the Six Food

Groups. That’s a lot of diversity for your agriculture, businesses, and diet! Even more foods have been

added to this edition of the manual including many more animal foods. The list provides names in English

and Chichewa and gives the scientific name too. Scientific names are the same in all countries, which

helps global communication. This section removes growing information, go to the full SNM for that.

At our home in Chitedze we have about 250 of these foods, which we raise, eat, and share with others. That

is why we called our home NeverEndingFood.

See how many more new and different foods you can start using. Older generations are often the best source

of information about local foods. They know how to find, identify, and prepare them. When you learn about

new foods, share your knowledge with others.

Remember - Let Nature be your Guide and Teacher!

Learning about all the different species is fun, and you will be rewarded with dietary diversity, good health,

more leisure time, and a beautiful and healthy environment.

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Appendix 2: Menu planning

Malawi Food Group Summary

chipande / zipande = serving spoon/s. T = tablespoon. tsp. = teaspoon.

Food Group

Amount

High Nutrients

Some Nutrients

• Examples of Foods

ü Hints for choosing the highest nutrients

Staples

5-6 zipande

carbohydrates

including fibre

proteins

minerals

vitamins

• Grains: rice, wheat, sorghum, millet, maize.

ü Whole grains with bran (gaga or madeya) and germ (mtima).

Germinated / fermented grains.

• Starchy Roots: yams (chilazi, viyao), sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes,

cassava

ü Edible skins of starchy roots

Fruits

3 zipande

vitamins

water carbohydrates

including fibre

• All Fruits except for those in fat or vegetable group. Sweet or tangy

fruits that are often eaten raw: papaya, guava, tangerine, banana,

mchisu, granadilla, sugar cane

ü Brightest colours, choose a variety of colours

ü Tangiest tastes

Vegetables

3-4 zipande

fibre

minerals

vitamins

proteins

• Greens: bonongwe, chisoso, luni

• Fruits: pumpkin, tomatoes, peppers

• Roots: onion, garlic

• Mushrooms and other fungi

• Flowers: Pumpkin flowers

ü Darkest, brightest, variety of colours

Legumes

& Nuts

11⁄2 zipande

proteins

carbohydrate

including fibre

minerals

vitamins

fat

• Legumes: hyacinth bean (khungudzu), ground beans (nzama),

soybeans, pigeon pea (nandolo), peas (nsawawa), mucuna

(kalongonda), groundnuts

• Tree Nuts: mbula, maula, cashew,

ü High fat: nuts and soy

ü Sprouted (use only legumes that are edible raw)

Animal

Foods

1 chipande

proteins

fat

minerals

vitamins

• Flesh: mice, chicken, pigeon, pig, goat, fish,

• Insects: ngumbi (termites), caterpillars

• Eggs, milk, chambiko (yoghurt), cheese

Fats

3 T seed

or

3 tsp. oil

fat

proteins

minerals

vitamins

fibre in plant fats

Foods that feel “fatty” in your mouth:

• Oilseeds: from pumpkin, sesame, sunflower

• Cooking Oils pressed from seeds

• Fruits: avocado pear, coconut

• Animal Fats: butter, lard

ü Whole seeds, avocado, coconut, sprouted seeds

Water

8-12 cups

water

minerals

• Water, juices (fresh, 100% juices), and other drinks.

ü Limit / avoid refined sugars, alcohol, and caffeine drinks.