ABSTRACT
The food consumption pattern in Nigeria has not really changed much over the years in terms of nutritional content-high intake of carbohydrates and low intake of proteins. The typical Nigerian diet consists of yam or cassava as staples, which are nutritionally inadequate in proteins, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and mineral content. Nonetheless, carbohydrates exceed the recommended level in the Nigerian diet. Provision of fresh vegetables in daily meals would greatly benefit the health of anyone living in the tropics (Gibbered and Gibbered, 1979). Fresh vegetables (cellulose) induce peristaltic movement and thereby indirectly aid digestion and prevent constipation. Contrarily, old and very hard/coarse vegetables can cause indigestion (O'Reilly-Wright, 1985). Excessive consumption of vegetables can result in soft/frequent stools. Thus moderation must be exercised, while always bearing in mind that absence of vegetables in the diet or a deficiency in certain ones can be dangerous to health.
