PROXIMATE, ANTINUTRIENT AND MINERAL COMPOSITION OF COMMONLY CONSUMED FOOD FROM LIMA BEANS (PHASEOLUS LUNATUS) IN KADUNA STATE, NORTH WESTERN NIGERIA: NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF COMMONLY CONSUMED FOODS FROM LIMA BEANS IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

This study was conducted to determine some of the nutrient and anti-nutritional factors in commonly consumed Lima beans (Phaseolus lunatus) foods in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The foods include lima bean porridge, lima bean-benniseed and lima bean-hungry rice. The foods were subjected to proximate, minerals and antinutrients analysis using standard procedures and analytical methods. Proximate composition shows that lima bean-benniseed food had higher content of crude protein (8.33%), crude fat (13.46%), crude fibre (4.09%) and ash (2.28%) compared to other foods while lima bean porridge had significantly (P<0.05) higher carbohydrate (24.58%) content than other foods. The protein content of lima bean porridge and lima bean-benniseed foods were significantly (P<0.05) higher than lima bean-hungry rice food. The mineral content Zn, K, Mg, and Ca of lima bean-benniseed food were significantly (P<0.05) higher than other foods. Zn content was very low and ranged from 0.40±0.01 to 0.66±0.01 for lima bean-hungry rice and lima bean-benniseed respectively. Lima bean porridge had higher content of iron and sodium. The iron content range was from 4.31±0.02 to 5.83±0.03 while sodium content range was from 17.45±0.02 to 23.88±0.01. Antinutrients cyanide, tannin and phytate content in all the foods decreased significantly (P<0.05) when compared with raw lima beans; lima bean-hungry rice food had significantly (P<0.05) lower content of tannin than other foods. This study shows that foods prepared with lima beans possess good nutritional profile and an increase in consumption of these foods has potential to improve dietary diversity, decrease malnutrition and its debilitating effects, especially for the vulnerable group which includes children, women and the elderly