Part four: Methods for evaluation of the role of fruits and wild greens in Shambaa diet: A case study1

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Abstract
While most human societies make extensive use of wild greens and fruits in the diet, there have been few systematic studies of the extent to which such plants are actually consumed, or of their nutritional significance. Data gathered in the course of anthropological fieldwork among the Shambaa people of the Usambara Mountains, Tanzania, indicate that these plants are an important element in the local diet and contribute significantly to nutrition. Previous studies employing twenty‐four‐hour recall and household food inventories had slighted the role of these foods in the local diet. The employment of such methods as participant‐observation, intensive village surveys, and child‐following has clarified the dietary and nutritional role of these foods.