Traditional green leafy vegetables as underutilised sources of micronutrients in a rural farming community in south-west Nigeria II: consumption pattern and potential contribution to micronutrient requirements

Abstract

Objective: To determine the consumption pattern of selected households consuming traditional green leafy vegetables (TGLVs) during three seasons and potential contribution to recommended nutrient intakes.

Design: Repeated household survey using food frequency questionnaire to obtain consumption pattern of selected TGLVs.

Setting and Subjects: Selected households in a small rural farming community: pre-rainy (n = 43), rainy (n = 36) and post-rainy seasons (n = 40).

Results: Corchorus olitorius and A. hybridus were the most consumed by > 70% of households across three seasons. A. esculentus and A. viridis were the least consumed TGLVs through all the seasons. Uncultivated and cultivated TGLVs could contribute between 26–> 100% and 18–96%, respectively, of recommended intake for vitamin A for children and women. For young children, both the cultivated and uncultivated TGLVs could contribute more than 50% of their RDA for iron.

Conclusion: seasonal availability, and preference for certain species, determine the consumption pattern of the TGLVs studied. Uncultivated and less utilised vegetables have the potential to make significant contributions to the micronutrient requirements of women and children, especially vitamin A and iron if frequently used.