Sankofa Farm and its Connection to the African Heritage Diet Pyramid

August 31, 2020

Writer Amiyah Stradford has been a youth farmer at Sankofa Community Farm since 2018. She runs the Farm’s blog, which you can read here.

The African Heritage Diet is a way of eating that is rooted in the traditional healthy foodways of people of African heritage. It’s very important to Sankofa because not only are we a spiritually-rooted and African Diaspora-centered farm, but eating healthy and making good decisions is one of our top priorities. THe pyramid is very similar to “My Plate,” which is a food pyramid based on American eating traditions taught to children in elementary school. 

Source: Oldwayspt.org

On the bottom are family, exercise, and other healthy habits unrelated to food. Here at Sankofa we encourage a safe space where everyone is welcome. On the second tier is greens, which we grow plenty of on the farm. Just stop by and take a walk through and I’m sure you’ll find some greens you’ve never even heard of!

The third tier is a mixture of vegetables, fruits, peanuts & nuts, beans & peas, and whole grains. The fourth tier has herbs spices, & traditional sauces. You definitely will not see this on the MyPlate based in America. Fish & Seafood is on the fifth tier. Africans traditionally eat fish more than Americans, I would say, whereas beef & chicken are eaten way more in America (some would say over-overeaten). In my opinion, fish is healthier whereas red meat takes very long to process in your body.

If you are looking for a healthy way to eat, give the African Heritage Diet a try!

 

Image: Homemade African greens served up during an event at Sankofa Community Farm

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