Ghana is easier for plant-based eaters than you'd expect — once you know which dishes are naturally meat-free and where fish hides. Here's how to eat well.
By Abdul, founder · Ghana Travel & Tour, KasoaUpdated 24 September 202611 min read
The short answer
Ghana is quite manageable vegetarian and doable vegan, especially in Accra, but you need to know where fish and meat hide in 'plant' dishes.
Naturally plant-friendly staples include red-red (bean stew), waakye, kelewele, roasted plantain and groundnuts, and many rice and yam dishes.
The big catch is hidden fish and shellfish: dried fish, momoni, shrimp powder and meat stock turn up in soups, stews and sauces, so always ask.
Rastafarian 'Ital' food is the vegan traveller's best friend — strictly plant-based and often excellent.
Accra has a growing number of vegetarian, vegan and health-food restaurants; outside the cities, self-catering and clear requests help.
Learn a couple of phrases and be specific — 'no meat, no fish, no shrimp' — and you'll eat happily across the country.
At a glance
Vegetarian
Manageable, esp. in Accra
Vegan
Doable with care
Watch for
Hidden fish, shrimp powder, stock
Best vegan source
Rasta 'Ital' food
Safe staples
Red-red, waakye, kelewele, plantain
Key phrase
'No meat, no fish, no shrimp'
Can you eat plant-based in Ghana?
Yes — more easily than many visitors fear, with a little knowledge. Ghanaian cooking is built around starchy staples, beans, vegetables, fruit and bold sauces, so a lot of it is naturally vegetarian-friendly and much can be made vegan. The catch is that fish and shellfish are used almost as seasonings here, so a dish that looks plant-based may carry dried fish, shrimp powder or stock. Learn where those hide and you'll eat well anywhere.
Accra is the easiest place, with a real and growing meat-free scene, but the traditional staples travel with you across the country. This guide covers the safe dishes, the traps, and where to eat — read it with our full Ghanaian food guide for the wider picture.
The naturally plant-based dishes
Start with these, which are vegetarian and often vegan (confirm the oil and stock):
Red-red — a rich stew of black-eyed beans in palm oil with fried plantain; a plant-based classic (ask that it's cooked without fish).
Waakye — rice and beans; the base is vegan, but pick your sides carefully (skip the fish and meat, keep the salad, gari, plantain).
Kelewele — spiced fried plantain, a perfect vegan snack.
Roasted or boiled plantain and yam with groundnuts, avocado or a pepper sauce.
Ga kenkey or banku with a vegetable or pepper sauce, minus the usual fish.
Fresh fruit is everywhere and superb — pineapple, mango, papaya, coconut, oranges — and roasted groundnuts make a reliable protein snack on the road.
This is the part to master. Many Ghanaian soups and sauces are seasoned with dried or smoked fish, momoni (fermented fish), shrimp/crayfish powder, or meat and its stock — often invisible in the finished dish. Groundnut soup, light soup, palm-nut soup, kontomire/palava sauce and okro stew frequently contain them, and a 'vegetable' dish may still be built on a fish or meat base.
Always ask, specifically. 'Vegetarian' isn't a widely used category, so be concrete: no meat, no fish, no shrimp powder, no stock cube. A friendly, clear request is understood and usually happily accommodated — Ghanaians are hospitable about food. Our etiquette and language guide helps you ask well.
Ital food: the vegan traveller's ally
The single best tip for vegans in Ghana is to seek out Rastafarian 'Ital' food. Ital cuisine is strictly plant-based by principle — no meat, no fish, often no processed ingredients — and Ghana's Rasta communities and restaurants (you'll find them around Accra, Kokrobite and other spots) serve genuinely good, wholesome vegan meals with no guesswork required. When you find one, you can order freely.
Ghana's cities and markets keep plant-based cooks well supplied Afus199620 · CC0
Beyond Ital, Accra has a rising number of dedicated vegetarian, vegan and health-food cafés and restaurants, especially in the upscale and Osu areas — see our where to eat in Accra guide, and ask locally, as the scene changes quickly.
Eating plant-based beyond the cities
Away from Accra, dedicated vegetarian restaurants thin out, but the staples don't. Red-red, waakye (chosen carefully), roasted plantain and yam, beans, fruit and groundnuts are available almost everywhere, and a clear request will usually get you a plate of rice or banku with a vegetable or pepper sauce. If you're staying in a private home or self-catering, markets overflow with produce, beans and grains — our market shopping guide helps you navigate them.
Carry snacks for long drives, keep it simple when in doubt (fruit, groundnuts, plantain), and you'll never go hungry. Being flexible and specific, rather than expecting Western-style vegan menus, is the whole trick.
Questions people ask
Is it easy to be vegetarian in Ghana?
It's quite manageable, especially in Accra. Many staples — red-red (bean stew), waakye, kelewele, roasted plantain and yam, and fresh fruit — are naturally vegetarian. The main challenge is hidden fish and shellfish in soups and sauces, so always ask specifically for no meat, fish or shrimp powder.
Can you be vegan in Ghana?
Yes, with care. Rastafarian 'Ital' food is strictly plant-based and the vegan traveller's best friend, and Accra has a growing number of vegan and health-food restaurants. Many staples are vegan if cooked without fish or meat stock — confirm the oil and seasoning, since fish and shrimp powder are used widely.
What Ghanaian foods are plant-based?
Red-red (black-eyed beans in palm oil with plantain), waakye (rice and beans, with the right sides), kelewele (spiced fried plantain), roasted or boiled plantain and yam, groundnuts, and abundant fresh fruit are all naturally plant-friendly. Always confirm no fish or stock has been added.
What hidden animal ingredients should vegetarians watch for in Ghana?
Dried or smoked fish, momoni (fermented fish), shrimp or crayfish powder, and meat stock are used as seasonings in many soups and sauces — including groundnut, light and palm-nut soups and kontomire — even when a dish looks vegetable-based. Ask specifically: no meat, no fish, no shrimp powder, no stock cube.
What is Ital food in Ghana?
Ital is Rastafarian cuisine — strictly plant-based by principle, with no meat or fish and often no processed ingredients. Ghana's Rasta communities and restaurants (around Accra, Kokrobite and elsewhere) serve wholesome vegan meals you can order without worrying about hidden animal products, making them ideal for vegan travellers.
Where can I find vegetarian restaurants in Ghana?
Mostly in Accra, which has a growing number of vegetarian, vegan and health-food cafés and restaurants, especially in the upscale and Osu areas, plus Ital spots. Outside the cities, rely on naturally plant-based staples and clear requests. Ask locally, as the scene changes quickly.
Written by Abdul, founder of Ghana Travel & TourI started this agency in Kasoa Opeikuma, Central Region, in 2020. Our drivers meet flights at Kotoka, our homes are the ones we let in Kasoa, and the routes described here are the ones we run ourselves.
What I know about Ghanaian travel comes from doing it: filing passport and visa applications, booking flights and hotels, collecting people from arrivals at two in the morning, and driving the Accra, Tema, Cape Coast and Kumasi runs week after week. Where this guide describes how something works, it is because we have done it.
Rules, fees and timetables in Ghana change. I have deliberately not quoted figures that go stale — where a number matters I name the office to confirm it with. If you spot something out of date, tell me and we will fix it.
Food & culture
Places & itineraries