Nigerian Timetable
So, I thought of it?
Are we really having the ‘right’ meal?
Growing up in a typical Nigerian family, jollof rice was for Sundays, I mean there was no negotiating that, if it was the timetable that made it so, it wasn’t a Nigerian food timetable.
I’m sure you know that fried rice and white rice with fried plantains are the next best. Seriously, who uses a time table to eat especially in this present time? (I mean the country's kinda hard), you eat what you see!
Back then, we had a time table, (I no be ajebor and we no like rich sha) but we have one family Nigerian food time table like that, it decorated the wall most times and we didn’t use it probably because the children craved something else or there weren’t the means and the food time table was a wish list.
Healthy eating of a family cannot be overemphasized. To arrange proper nutrition and healthy food time table - means to protect all family members from a variety diseases, improve the quality of life. If all family members work and study, it is very difficult to organize healthy food timetable for each member of the family. However, nothing is impossible.
Another major problem that affects our feeding habit in Nigeria is that we rotate the same food a lot. Many families stick to just rice, beans, eba. That is all. Rarely do they consider adding options like soya, cowpeas, millet, guinea corn to their meals. If you are Igbo, you stick to your Igbo food. You hardly see someone trying out the food of other tribes. (I'm a victim. Lol)
Nigeria is very rich in agriculture. The lands are fertile, and not prone to natural disasters. There are many rich foods in Nigeria, especially in the north. By trying out the cultural foods of other tribes too, we are enriching our diets in many ways.
Ways To Maintain A Good Health
- Eat lots of fruits. Form a habit of stocking up on seasonal fruits. Introduce fruits to the children and encourage them to appreciate healthy eating.
- Drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up. You can proceed with your breakfast and a bowl of fruit salad right after this. In fact, if you take water and fruit in the morning, you are good to go. This will help in revving up your metabolism.
- Eat your last meal at or before 7 p.m. If you get hungry afterwards, drink tea (not hot chocolate) and snack on a handful of fruits.
- Drink water 30 minutes before or after a meal.
- If you must consume liquids while you eat, drink water instead of beer or soft drinks. This helps with digestion.
- Your glass of water doesn’t have to be ice-cold. Always drink water at room temperature.
- Cook with minimum oil.
- Do everything in moderation. Too much or too little food, fruit, water can make you sick.
- Tea and coffee are best avoided one hour before and after meals.
- Eat in a correct sitting position. Don’t slouch when eating.
- Don’t rush your food. Chew properly before swallowing so as to hasten and make the digestion process easier.
Also some people actually think planning a meal is boring, especially when it also comes to a Nigerian food time table.
Do you know you can actually plan it in a way that favours you? You can make the planning of your Nigerian food time table a weekly, monthly or quarterly thing.
One thing to note is that good food makes a healthy family. If you desire a healthy family as a Nigerian, be excited to create your customized Nigerian food time table.
It is something that you should always look forward too. Meal planning will you will help you to understand the nutritional need of your home.
Planning your customized Nigerian food time table will also help you to know the meals to avoid or to take.
In fact, it will also give you new ideas on how to recreate your meals in new ways.
Another advantage is that it helps you to plan ahead and have extra time to do any other thing.
Soon enough your Nigerian food time table will help you to stop the stress of going to the market unnecessary.
Below are examples of weekly Nigerian food time table that you can actually try to work with.
You will like it and please feel free to use this as a template to create your own Nigerian food time table.
Tips for maintaining a healthy food time table
It is one thing to have a meal plan; it is another thing to know how to implement the ideas. Some homemakers adopt meal plans and forget about them after a while. Often, these homemakers just lose their enthusiasm for the plan because they just don’t know how to get around preparing these simple meals within short periods.
With a little bit of creativity and entry-level cooking skills, you can achieve it. The tips explain how you can follow the plan.
Prepare and freeze sauces and stews over the weekend
If you work from 8 AM – 5 PM Mondays through Fridays, you might want to utilize your weekends effectively. Buy plenty of fresh and pureed tomatoes so that you can cook enough stew to last for a whole week. As the weekdays unfold, you can modify the stews to suit your needs. For instance, when you have to serve egg stew, all you’ll have to do is warm up some stew, pour some whisked eggs into it and voila, you’ll have a ready meal.
The same goes for soups. Prepare and freeze your soup stock (meat + dried fish + oil + seasoning). During the weekdays, you can buy a small quantity of the vegetables of your choice. If for instance, you’d like to have edikang ikong soup, all you’ll have to do is wash and chop the waterleaves and ugu vegetables, warm a small portion of the soup stock and pour your vegetables in.
A pressure cooker will save you plenty of time
Before the invention of pressure cookers, women had to cook beans overnight. Things have changed now. Your family doesn’t have to be deprived of this nutritious food option just because it takes longer to cook.
With a solid pressure cooker, you can whip up a tasty and affordable meal of beans and plantain porridge in less than thirty minutes.
Another alternative would be to pressure cook your beans in bulk during the weekend. Save some in the freezer for use during the busy work-week. That way you’ll save hours of cooking time. You’ll need the extra time to bond with your spouse and your children.
You don't always have to cook everything from scratch. You can prepare and freeze your ingredients on weekends
You don't always have to cook everything from scratch. You can prepare and freeze your ingredients on weekends
You don't always have to cook everything from scratch. You can prepare and freeze your ingredients on weekends
You don’t have to make everything from scratch
Did you know you could buy already-made beans flour for moimoi? Well, yes you can. You can also buy cocoyam and pounded yam flour for your soups and fufu too.
You can order for these pre-made food items online and stock them. You could prepare your own moimoi in thirty minutes. Isn’t it wonderful how easy it is to follow your food time table for Nigerian homes?
Eat every fruit in season
Be creative with the fruits you serve during meals.
Health experts recommend that you eat every fruit in season until they goes out of season. You should add fresh fruits and vegetables to your food time table for Nigerian homes. This way you and your family can get all the required vitamins and minerals you need to stay strong and healthy.
Our food time table for Nigerian homes is designed to help you and your family stay strong and healthy. It is tailor-made for families trying to adjust to the tough economic realities of our time.
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