ABSTRACT:
Indigenous vegetables are good sources of essential nutrients important for human nutrition. Despite their nutritional importance, information on nutritional contents as well as how their nutrients are affected by f traditional processing methods remain scanty and limited in most developing countries including Malawi. This study was carried out to determine the nutritional composition of four UIVs Galinsoga parviflora (Mamunaligone), Vigna unguiculata (Mtambe), Phaseolus vulgaris (Khwanya), and Thunbergia lancifolia (Mlombwe) and to evaluate the effects of traditional cooking and sun-drying on selected nutrients. Nutritional composition (protein, vitamin C, iron, calcium, zinc, crude fiber, moisture, and ash) was analyzed using standard Association of official analytical chemist (AOAC,2016) methods. The vegetables were prepared using the common cooking techniques used in the communities which include boiling with and without ground nut flour, bicarbonate soda, cooking oil and traditional preservation of sun-drying. The raw vegetables showed significant variation in nutrient nutrients. Protein ranged from 1.6% in Mlombwe to 6.5% in Khwanya, while vitamin C levels were highest in Khwanya (273 mg/100 g) and lowest in Mlombwe (41 mg/100 g). Traditional cooking methods significantly affected nutrient retention: all cooking methods reduced vitamin C, whereas boiling with ground nut flour increased protein content compared to boiling with soda. Sun-drying caused significant losses of vitamin C but increased protein and fiber due to moisture reduction. These findings provides essential nutritional data for underutilized indigenous vegetables in Malawi and highlight preparation methods that help optimize nutrient retention.