Sankofa Farm and its Connection to the African Heritage Diet Pyramid

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. 

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