Healthy eating in Nigeria is AFFORDABLE!!!

Hi guys,

Today I wanna talk all about CLEAN EATING and how it is affordable, contrary to what I thought before. I would also be sharing some of my recipes and if you have some, please share with me.

Lunch today...those veggies were FARM FRESH

Share, NOT force me to eat/try it please. Or let me know how your own is better than mine. Cos many Nigerians don’t know nothing about nicely suggesting without comparing or feeling unnecessarily superior.

Mehn, forget it, clean eating has bulked up my pocket, especially as I don’t mess with random junk buying these days, and it has cleaned up my system. I am just so excited about my meals these days. Tz a beautiful adventure shopping, finding healthier alternatives and being creative with my meals.

For example, I had oatmeal pancakes on Saturday. I had just two slices and I was KNOCKED out FULL!!!

I blended my Oats. One and half pack. That’s about N600

Then I dished out like a cup, added eggs, banana to sweeten, onion, black pepper, nutmeg, spring onions and green peppers to give it some nice flavour. Then I blended it all together with water to form a paste with a very smooth consistency. Fried it with very little pure coconut oil and voila!!!

Delicious and healthy, IT WAS PERFECT!!!

Even KingDaveed loved it.

Threw the rest of the batter in the freezer for maybe next Saturday.

Oh and that delish cabbage soup I made?

I used chicken breast but you can use regular chicken jare.

Bought it 550 at SPAR. Boiled it with just ONE stock cube and no salt. Used turmeric, black pepper, garlic, ginger, crayfish, curry and thyme. Then I diced the chicken.

Diced up all my veggies – Cabbage, Carrot, Green pepper, Spring onions, Tomatoes. You may add any other veggies you like e.g. Parsley.

Added them into the chicken stock one by one, depending on how long I wanted that veggie cooked and my cabbage was last.

Healthy and filling, IT WAS PERFECT!!!

Costs me less than 1k to make 4 servings.

Win-Win!!!

Then soups, like okra and vegetables which are the two soups I love.

I cook it OIL FREE now or with just an eating spoon of oil if you think your body needs at least a little of the iron or whatever it gives.

How do I prep it?

I blend enough tomatoes, tatashe and pepper and I use it as my base in place of oil. Then I add onions, stir, add my smoked/dry fish and periwinkles/ponmo/whatever then I add chicken/fish stock (I don’t do red meat),. As it starts to cook, I put in my veggies (I use a green/ugu or waterleaf/ugu combo mostly) and turn out the heat.

Soup is ready.

I eat it with plantain sometimes

I hardly do swallow these days but if you must do swallow, not more than a fist full of whatever you are eating. Of course wheat is preferred. I am thinking of making the oatmeal fufu one of these days.

For okra soup, I always cut and not grate the okra. I cut it in big chunks so it is crunchy and filling. Same process as above but what I now do with okra is to leave some raw okra in a Ziploc bag and throw in the fridge compartment for veggies. So whenever I dish from the cooked soup, I add some of the raw one and heat up together. That way, it always feels fresh when I eat it.

Yum, I promise!!!

Beans, the same thing. No oil. I use the tomato/tatashe paste instead.

You don’t miss the oil, trust me. When I cook this way, I fill my plate with the soup and enjoy. Without swallow.

One thing I have learnt is that we would need to UNLEARN a lot of what we have learned and also acquire new tastebuds.

Would your food taste different?

Yes. But not any less sweet, IMO.

Not to mention how your body will be thanking you for feeding it WELL!!!

Your tastebuds may protest at first and your tummy may want more servings but you need to tell them WHO IS BOSS!!! YOU!!!

Let’s talk a bit about salads which is what I find myself eating a whole lot.

My regular salad consists on cabbage, carrot, cucumber (skinned), lettuce, tomatoes, and boiled eggs. You may add whatever else favors you.Then I sprinkle some lemon juice over it and enjoy.

Yup I think salad cream/mayonnaise is nice but it is not helping me so I have to let it go and ENJOY what I have now.

Somedays I add avocado to my salads but then, I do just eggs, tomatoes, avocado and lettuce.

An average bowl of salad lasts me three days (cos my light is constant so it stays crunchy fresh) and it costs me well under 500 box and to think I buy some of the stuff from ParknShop sef.

I also eat beans from time to time and I make sure I have no more than two spoons and then bulk it up with either veggies or steamed cabbage (my fave. Steamed with a little chicken stock).

Then of course I add my fish and chicken. I LOVE fish and chicken ooo. I usually grill or just boil. If I am grilling, I marinate overnight. Tz sooooo good that my sister doesn’t stop stealing it from the freezer.

Lol.

Recently I bumped into a whole wheat organic pasta at SPAR. Just 550box and it is looking like it will last me 5servings.

I cooked it with chicken stock, then I steamed all my veggies and peppers in a lil stock too. Then tossed and mixed both wella and served myself just one cup.

Usually a serving is that small plate they turn into your plate when they serve you at Chicken Republic or KFC.
Yup!!!

So be sure to bulk up with veggies.

Like mine I used steamed cabbage and lettuce. Not more than a minute. I always make sure to have stock in the freezer cos I use it to steam a lot.

Then let’s talk of smoothies, my favourite.

Like today, I made an ABC smoothie

Apples- N50

Beetroot – N55

Carrots – Half of the 50naira worth.

I used Greek yoghurt as my base, just about half a cup, say 50mls, but water works just as well.

How much is this? And it gave me 2cups.

Of course, the average regular smoothies cost me mostly under 200 and we all know how much these smoothie makers retail for. The Place does for N800. Haha.
I just blend a nice mix of green and then sweet fruits and veggies e.g. pineapples, cucumber and say half an apple plus a handful of any veggies (parsley, ugu, green, spinach), or watermelon, apple, green grapes, and a veggie. I mean, simple and healthy. You can have your smoothie with two slices of bread (wheat bread even better) but usually I skip bread and just have it with two eggs.

I also have oatmeal smoothies sometimes where I blend a mix of two sweet fruits say grapes, pineapple, or apples and then I add a cup of cooked oatmeal to it and blend it all and drink up.

Very filling brekkie and a good way to have oats.

Sometimes I cook the oats plain and then add apple chunks, strawberries, green/red grapes in whatever mix I want. I dice them small so that every spoon comes with some fruits which act as my healthy sweetener.

Fam, I dunno when last I saw Sugar and surely, KingDaveed ain’t doing sugar too as he grows.

he joined me in my ABC smoothie

Btw I bought the strawberries above 550 at SPAR and I am not such a huge fan but KingDaveed LOVES it so I add to his puree. So sometimes I add to my smoothie or oats.

So usually I use water as base or watermelon or yoghurt.

I got the Greek yo for 1k and the low fat yo for 1k.

1L bottles

The way I use it, it will sure last a month.

Infact anytime I have watermelon in my smoothie, I don’t use water again. If you blend the watermelon FIRST, you get the liquid you need for the smoothie to make.

Anything else?

Ok, just a couple of other fruits in my freezer.

Before I even mention, I must say that having power helps me a whole lot. I know it will be harder to do all of this cooking daily as opposed to just storing in the freezer and bringing out when ready (aside smoothies. I finish same day)

It also helps that I have access to those mallams who sell fruits and fresh veggies.

They are amazing abeg. Infact, I have a customer and anything he doesn’t have, I deposit money and he goes scouting for me.

I usually have oranges, watermelon, garden eggs, cucumber, pineapples, etc and what I do not find with the mallams, I get from all those big departmental stores. I am also open to trying out new stuff so far it is not overpriced.

Ok so on the tray I have

Egg plant (the purple ones. Aubergines I think). The pack was like 110.
Red ball pepper 120
Pumpkin 55naira
Beetroot 55naira
Green pepper 100
Lettuce 155
Ginger 55
Avocado 130
Regular garden eggs (I buy N100 worth)
Cucumber both 150

Just listing them out so you see that it ain’t costly.
They also have various leaves you can use as spices eg mint, cumin, parsley,etc mostly in packs under 200.

Of course there are more expensive fruits, vegs, peppers etc. I just unlook.

Like yellow ballpeppers was 800plus at SPAR
ONE imported potato costs 700plus
Imported lettuce 1000plus
Broccoli Cauliflower etc almost 2k per pack.

Just to mention, Mile12 also has a wide variety of veggies and fruits, Local and imported.

Just do the one your pocket fit carry ehn cos even with our local stuff, you are GOOD!!!

Then I try to snack on healthy stuff – Nuts including cashew, Tiger and groundnut, garden eggs, and dates.

Please PORTION CONTROL is everything.

The plates give you an idea of how much of what to eat.

Always check the calorie count of what you are eating anyhow. Nuts have some crazy calz too so portion control please. Be a very aware buy-er. Check labels to see calorie count. I recall buying a small tin of mixed nuts feeling healthy. When i finished chopping, I saw 2000calz!!!

now ehn, Me I don’t just buy without checking ooo. I work so hard at my workouts so I am so careful what goes in. even for the healthy stuff, I PORTION CONTROL!!!

 

As far as I am concerned, the only thing you can just swallow is WATER and Green tea, without checking because they are zero calories so drink up to fill up your tummy and control any further hunger pangs. And then RELAX!!! You don’t have to eat until you are stuffed. 3cups of GT a day works. And I always tinge with lemon or lime to shrink belly fat.

As for junks, I JUST STAY OFF!!! The calorie content is MAD.

See shortbread I dey chop anyhow before, I checked and saw an incredible amount of calories PER STICK!!! Haba!!! Doughnut, meatpie, puffpuff, etc. not me abeg!!! Coke, fruit juice, etc, I jump and pass.

I unlook when I see all those things. I try as much as possible to eat at home always or go out with what I will eat later, and always have healthy snack options. Garden eggs are my favourite.

I was listening to my mama Meyer talk about how, back then, she used to eat this cheesecake till one day she just checked and saw that the smallest had 850 calz and the biggest 1200. That was the last time she ate it because IT IS NOT WORTH IT.

That woman says she does 3-5miles walk EVERYDAY!!!

Choi!!! And she watches what she eats and that has been on for a LONG time because God told her that if she don’t, she will NOT be able to do her God-given assignment in the third part of her journey. She is now in that third and final lap and she is sooooo healthy, thanks to the lifestyle of eating clean and working out daily.

Mindless eating is something she avoids, all this pick food here and there, or pass by somewhere, buy biscuit, pop chocolate, drink coke, etc WHICH DOES NOT FORM PART OF YOUR DAILY MEAL is just crazy!!!

The truth is, some people may eat more and never add an inch but I have learnt that I AM NOT THEM and so I have to work with what I have been given.

Moreover, life has a way of evening these things out. My own issue may be with my weight but those people who stay slim no matter what have the parts of their lives that don’t come as easy too so ME I RUN MY OWN RACE even though it is a tough journey. I sure am getting used to it and I am glad to be leading this new lifestyle, going forward.

I had to do this post to share what I have learned so far on healthy eating to debunk the ‘it is expensive’ myth.
To encourage those of us on this journey. Just let Google be your friend and be calorie conscious cos that’s what makes you add weight.

Also there are very many Nigerians on this healthy living journey and they share their stories on blogs, BBMchannels, IG etc. Do your own research and find them.
Like me, some BBM channels have been amazing…

Ujay
Yems smoothies
Fit n Fab
Miss Kalu
Health n Healthy (she lost 75kg wow)
and more

They post workouts, recipes, tips, etc
Plus some sell healthier alternatives of your starchy Nigerian meals eg banana bread, oat honey bread,ugwu chips, coconut bread, healthy cookies and muffins, and all that good stuff. I hardly buy tho. Actually never. Maybe later but I know they are healthy and yum.

For all those who keep asking me tons of questions, I hope this helps…

Plus I just ordered this Shake n Take smoothie maker today!!!

So excited. Incase anyone wants to order on Dealdey, there is a cheaper vendor just search.

Can’t wait to receive this

Here’s to CLEAN EATING all day n err’day

God loves yawl like crazzzzyyyy

E’