2 Healthy Foods I'm Not Eating

Image is mine

I remember complaining to someone how Nigerian foods were not colourful enough and just filled with carbs. I also said, if I have my way, I will go live in South Korea because those people are very healthy in their eating habits. But then I thought about it, it is not really about having no side dishes, it is mostly that eating healthy in Nigeria, depending on your definition of healthy, will cost you money. There are very nutritious meals I have not eaten in a while because I am budget tight.

One is called Ukwa (African Breadfruit). Ukwa is made from using the breadfruit and other ingredients such as palm oil, salt and pepper to mention a few. It has to be one of the foods in Nigeria that is absolutely organic and with no cholesterol at all. Sources on the web say,

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One cup of raw breadfruit (220g) provides 227 calories, 2.4g of protein, 60g of carbohydrates, and 0.5g of fat. The protein in breadfruit is from essential amino acids that the body can't produce on its own. Breadfruit is also an excellent source of potassium, vitamin C, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), thiamin (B1), and fiber. The following nutrition information is provided by the USDA.3

The thing is, one cup of Ukwa is expensive here in the North and even hard to find. I see roasted Ukwa from time to time, and I buy to chew on them. I have not eaten properly made Ukwa in almost six years. The last time I had it was in 2019, and that was because a neighbour shared it with me. She had traveled back home to the East and came back with it. She shared with us the raw one and roasted one. Mom did not waste any time preparing it because just like me, she had not eaten it in so long. We prepared it with dry fish and had boiled corn for dessert. It really had me tracing my Igbo era.

The next I have not had in a long time, almost four years, would be Ofe Akwu (Palmnut soup - popularly known as Banga soup). Ofe Akwu is made with palm nuts, fish/meat, Uziza seeds, peppers to mention a few. Sources around the web say that,

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The fiber content in the soup, particularly from the palm fruit and vegetables, helps promote healthy digestion, prevent constipation, and support healthy gut bacteria.
The palm fruit used in the soup contains a compound called saponin, which has been shown to help reduce bad, low-density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol levels and improve overall heart health.

The thing is, just like Ukwa, palm nuts are not cheap here. For some reason, writing about these things made me solidly start craving them. Especially Ukwa. I want to eat some and I know it will take patience but I will get to eat them this year.

This is my response to the 14th Day of the January Inleo initiative.