Table 3. Contribution of foods to daily intake of selected nutrients
Vitamin A (as B-carotene) Red /orange/yellow fruits and vegetable e.g. papaya, pumpkin,
carrots, mangoes etc.
Vegetables: Green leafy vegetables e.g. Spinach, coriander etc.
Riboflavin (B 2 ) Soybean, nuts, milk and milk products, whole grains, green leafy
vegetables, organ meats
Niacin (B 3 ) Peanuts, lean meat, fish, poultry
Pyriodoxin (B 6 ) Green leafy vegetables, banana, dried beans, potato etc.
Vitamin B 12 Organs and lean muscle, fish, dairy products etc.
Folate/folic acid Dark green leafy vegetables, liver, amaranth, orange, peas etc.
Vitamin C Citrus fruits, tomato, peppers, leafy green vegetables, potato,
papaya, lyche etc.
Vitamin D Fatty fish, liver, egg yolk, liver
Vitamin E Vegetable oils, nuts, wheat germ, whole grain cereals, green
vegetables, seeds, dried beans
Vitamin K
Broccoli, cabbage, vegetables oils, leafy green vegetables, curd,
egg yolk, liver, soybeans, potato
Iron Meat, liver, blood, green vegetables, cereals, pulses
Calcium Milk, cheese, legumes, pulses, green leaves
Phosphorous Milk, cheese, cereal, meat
Potassium Root vegetables, green vegetables, banana
Zinc Red meats, cheese, milk, pulses, legumes
Magnesium Green vegetables, cereals
Copper Liver, green vegetables
Selenium Cereals, fish, meat, eggs
Chromium Red meats, whole cereal products, pulses, spices
Molybdenum Legumes and pulses
Boron Vegetables
Non Nutrients (Plant foods)
Flavonoids (Carotenoids,
poluphenols, bioflavonoids)
and salicylate
(acetylesalicylic acid;
asprin)
Fruits (health benefits associated with prevention of
cardiovascular diseases and gastrointestinal cancers)
Dark green leafy vegetables, Lycopene in tomato
Carotenoids: antioxidant properties
Poly phenols: Antioxidants
Phyto-estrogen-plant foods-cancer and diabetic retionopathy
(Source: Food composition of Nepalese foods, National Nutrition Progamme, DFTQC, 2003/2004)
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
More than 840 millions people remains hungry around the world and still more suffer from
micronutrients deficiencies. Food is source of all nutrients except Vitamin D formation and a
few minerals. Fruits and vegetable groups are actually very widely in their nutrient contents.
Dark, yellow or orange vegetables or fruits are good source of vitamin-A and Iron. Calcium
and magnesium are extremely good at absorbing free radicals and they are essential for
strong bones. To achieve this ratio would require eating a very large serving of high calcium
greens with almost every meal.
Balanced diets are not accessible for a large proportion of Nepalese population, particularly
those who live in rural areas. Many populations subsist on staple plant-based diets that often
lack diversity (and also quantity and quantity), which may result in energy and deficiencies.
Home gardening can improve nutritional status more specifically on micronutrients status of
women and children and poverty reduction, which is one of the appropriate Food-based
approaches, could be an essential part of the long-term global strategy to alleviate vitamin A
and iron deficiencies but their real potential is still need to be explored. In the context of
Nepal, the government should promote home garden as a nutritional garden which can